to pierce or wound with or as if with a pointed weapon.
She stabbed a piece of chicken with her fork.
to thrust, plunge, or jab (a knife, pointed weapon, or the like) into something.
He stabbed the knife into the man's chest.
to penetrate sharply or painfully.
Their misery stabbed his conscience.
to make a piercing, thrusting, or pointing motion at or in.
He stabbed me in the chest with his finger.
The speaker stabbed the air in anger.
to thrust with or as if with a knife or other pointed weapon.
to stab at an attacker.
to deliver a wound, as with a pointed weapon.
stab (someone) in the back, to do harm to (someone), especially to a friend or to a person who is unsuspecting or in a defenseless position.
a stab in the back, an act of treachery.
stabilization.
stabilizer.
stable.
(tr) to pierce or injure with a sharp pointed instrument
(tr) (of a sharp pointed instrument) to pierce or wound
the knife stabbed her hand
to make a thrust (at); jab
he stabbed at the doorway
(tr) to inflict with a sharp pain
(verb) to do damage to the reputation of (a person, esp a friend) in a surreptitious way
(noun) a treacherous action or remark that causes the downfall of or injury to a person
the act or an instance of stabbing
an injury or rift made by stabbing
a sudden sensation, esp an unpleasant one
a stab of pity
informal an attempt (esp in the phrase make a stab at )
First recorded in 1435–45 for the noun, and in 1525–35 for the verb; Middle English ( Scots ) noun stab, stabbe, stappe, of uncertain origin; compare Scots stob “needle, large needle”; verb from the noun
To stab is to thrust or jab something sharp, the way you stab your sandwich with a toothpick or the way Brutus (and others) stab Julius Caesar in Shakespeare's play. You can stab at the soil in your garden with a trowel or stab the steak on your plate with a fork. You might then experience a stab (or sharp feeling) of regret, wondering if you should become a vegetarian. When you "take a stab at something," you attempt it: "I decided to take a stab at opera singing." Stab comes from the Scottish stob, "to pierce."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"Abandon the direct negotiations... Don't be with them and stab us in the back," Qassem said.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
It became a viral sensation, spurring countless inspired products from Crumbl Cookies to Shake Shack desserts as well as major chocolate brands like Lindt and Godiva taking their own stab at the pistachio-filled confection.
From Salon • May 6, 2026
Now a 10-year-old but a former winner of the Betfred Bowl at this meeting and he deserves this first stab at the race.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
“She gets to be released on Valentine’s Day, which is another stab in the gut,” Montalvo said.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026
Luke read the letter at supper, after everyone else in the family had had a stab at trying to figure out what it meant.
From "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
