dribble

American  

[drib-uhl] / ˈdrɪb əl /

verb (used without object)

dribbles, present (3rd person singular) dribbled, past participle, past dribbling present participle

1. to fall or flow in drops or small quantities; trickle.

2. to drivel; slaver.

3. Sports. to advance a ball or puck by bouncing it or giving it a series of short kicks or pushes.

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verb (used with object)

dribbles, present (3rd person singular) dribbled, past participle, past dribbling present participle

1. to let fall in drops.

2. Sports.

   1. Basketball. to bounce (the ball) as in advancing or keeping control of it.

   2. (especially in ice hockey and soccer) to move (the ball or puck) along by a rapid succession of short kicks or pushes.

noun

1. a small trickling stream or a drop.

2. a small quantity of anything.

   a dribble of revenue.

3. Sports. an act or instance of dribbling a ball or puck.

4. Scot. a drizzle; a light rain.

dribble British  

/ ˈdrɪbəl /

verb

1. (usually intr) to flow or allow to flow in a thin stream or drops; trickle

2. (intr) to allow saliva to trickle from the mouth

3. (in soccer, basketball, hockey, etc) to propel (the ball) by repeatedly tapping it with the hand, foot, or stick

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noun

1. a small quantity of liquid falling in drops or flowing in a thin stream

2. a small quantity or supply

3. an act or instance of dribbling

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dribbler
  noun
• dribbly
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have dribbled
  perfect
• has dribbled
  perfect 3rd person singular
• is dribbling
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am dribbling
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been dribbling
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• are dribbling
  progressive
• have been dribbling
  perfect progressive
• dribbles
  singular 3rd person
• dribbling
  participle

Past

• had dribbled
  perfect
• were dribbling
  progressive plural
• had been dribbling
  perfect progressive
• dribbled
  simple
• dribbled
  participle
• was dribbling
  progressive singular

Future

• will dribble
  simple
• will have dribbled
  perfect
• will be dribbling
  progressive
• will have been dribbling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dribble

1555–65; frequentative of obsolete drib (v.), probably variant of drip

Explanation

A dribble is a slow, steady flow of water. Or, if you are a basketball player, you dribble the ball to make your way towards the basket. Dribbling consists of tiny drops of water (or another liquid) dripping. If you've ever had a leaky faucet going drip-drip-drip-drip, then you know exactly what dribbling is like, and how annoying it can be. Dribbling in basketball isn't annoying at all; in fact, it's an essential skill. If you think about it, the repeated tap-tap-tap of the ball sounds a bit like the drip-drip-drip of the water dribbling.

Example Sentences

"All anyone needs to play basketball is a ball and a hoop, a surface that you can dribble on, and New York City has an awful lot of that kind of space," she said.

From Barron's • Jun. 7, 2026

“This is an industrial area, and there’s plenty of stuff around to catch fire,” he said, sidestepping a dribble of oily water.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

"Lionel Messi is close to Best in the way he plays. He can dribble, beat people, score goals and make goals," said another former United and Northern Ireland great Sammy McIlroy.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

When teams have instead focused on O'Reilly's central attacking position, Doku has then relished the chance to dribble past a single defender before dangerously cutting the ball back to his team-mates.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Nick scooped the ball right into his dribble and was gone.

From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers

Related Words

• drizzle
• ooze
• squirt