dough

noun

ˈdō How to pronounce dough (audio)
Synonyms of doughnext
1
: a mixture that consists essentially of flour or meal and a liquid (such as milk or water) and is stiff enough to knead or roll
2
: something resembling dough especially in consistency
3
: money
doesn't have much dough
4
military : doughboy
doughlike
ˈdō-ˌlīk How to pronounce dough (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of dough

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Examples of dough in a Sentence

I don't have much dough. didn't have to spend a lot of dough for a new stereo
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Others are spreading thick layers on toast, scooping it onto snack plates, blending it with eggs, enjoying it as a whole side to a meal or turning it into high-protein pizza dough. — Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026 The chocolates are made with crunchy kataifi, the sweet, shredded phyllo dough traditionally used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean pastries and a main ingredient in the Dubai bars. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026 Add the syrup, avocado oil, and vanilla and stir until a soft dough forms. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 Remove pot from oven and very carefully lower dough into pot. — Noah Kaufman, Bon Appetit Magazine, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dough

Word History

Etymology

Middle English doh, dogh, dowe, going back to Old English dāg, going back to Germanic *daiga- (whence Middle Dutch deech "dough," Old High German teig, Old Norse deig, deigr, Gothic daigs), ablaut derivative from the base of *digan-, *dīgan- "to knead, shape" (whence Gothic digan, gadigan "to knead, form from clay"), going back to Indo-European *dhei̯ǵh- "knead, shape" — more at feign

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dough was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing dough

Rhymes for dough

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Browse Nearby Words

doug
dough
dough-baked
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Cite this Entry

“Dough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dough. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dough

noun
ˈdō How to pronounce dough (audio)
1
: a soft mass of moistened flour or meal thick enough to knead or roll
2
: something resembling dough especially in consistency
3
: money sense 1a
doughy
ˈdō-ē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on dough

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dough

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