dabble

American  

[dab-uhl] / ˈdæb əl /

verb (used without object)

• dabbles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dabbled,
  past participle,  past
• dabbling
  present participle

1. to play and splash in or as if in water, especially with the hands.

2. to work at anything in an irregular or superficial manner.

   to dabble in literature.

   Synonyms:

   dally, toy, fiddle, putter

3. (of a duck) to feed on shallow-water vegetation with rapid, splashing movements of the bill.

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verb (used with object)

• dabbles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dabbled,
  past participle,  past
• dabbling
  present participle

1. to wet slightly in or with a liquid; splash; spatter.

2. Chiefly South Midland U.S. to wash or rinse off lightly.

dabble British  

/ ˈdæbəl /

verb

1. to dip, move, or splash (the fingers, feet, etc) in a liquid

2. (intr; usually foll by in, with, or at) to deal (with) or work (at) frivolously or superficially; play (at)

3. (tr) to daub, mottle, splash, or smear

   his face was dabbled with paint

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• dabbler
  noun
• undabbled
  adjective
• dabblingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• dabbling
  present
• dabbled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dabble
  simple
• dabbles
  simple
• have dabbled
  perfect
• has dabbled
  perfect
• am dabbling
  progressive
• are dabbling
  progressive
• is dabbling
  progressive
• have been dabbling
  perfect progressive
• has been dabbling
  perfect progressive

Past

• dabbled
  simple
• had dabbled
  perfect
• was dabbling
  progressive
• were dabbling
  progressive
• had been dabbling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dabble
  simple
• will have dabbled
  perfect
• will be dabbling
  progressive
• will have been dabbling
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of dabble

1550–60; probably dab ¹ + -le; compare Dutch dabbelen, dabben

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Explanation

You dabble when you are a little bit involved in an activity, such as an art form or a hobby. Maybe you only dabble in mystery novels, but you are very knowledgeable about comic books. The word dabble can also often relate to water. It can mean “to splash playfully,” or “to get just a little wet.” A bird can also dabble in water by dipping its bill into it. Each of these meanings of dabble is often followed by the word in. For example, a duck may dabble in the water (and then dribble a few drops afterward from its bill), and you may dabble in shrubbery art.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dabble dabbles dabbled dabbling

For the first time, it was possible to dabble in all kinds of investments—from memecoins to complex options—on a smartphone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 10, 2026

But not having the program dabble in political humor is a business decision.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

Some investors, especially younger professionals, already dabble in crypto before they seek an adviser.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 20, 2026

There is no shame in Gyllenhaal’s game, and her honest excitement to dabble with references and emotion is refreshing, even when these moments grate.

From Salon ● Mar. 8, 2026

But that wondering is very rhetorical because no way would I give up my straight-A+ report card to risk a dabble in hobbies.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

She also dabbles in other technologies, including quantum computing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

John Evans, a sound technician who dabbles in acting, writing and producing, points to Netflix's loving restoration of The Egyptian Theatre along iconic Hollywood Boulevard as a sign of their good faith.

From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025

I don’t think he dabbles in filler the way other artists do.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2025

The outlet also noted that he dabbles in other forms of puzzling, as well.

From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2024

"What do you suppose that a man who dabbles in Egyptology for an amusement would send as a bouquet to a baby?"

From The Ranch Girls at Home Again by Margaret Vandercook

Growing up in Philadelphia, he had dabbled in design and marketing, which didn’t stick, and found law school too boring.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026

DaSafo also dabbled with an acting career, appearing in two episodes of the crime drama Top Boy and the 2012 film The Grind.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

JapanLA first dabbled in livestream shopping during the pandemic lockdown, when it had to close its store.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

A teacher by profession, Rocha has dabbled both in academia and politics throughout his career.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

The church, too, dabbled with zero and the infinite, though church doctrine was still dependent on Aristotelian ideas.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Intrigued, American anglers started dabbling with urchins, and having success.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Companies are also dabbling with artificial intelligence to see if AI can replace some jobs, particularly entry-level positions typically filled by young people.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026

The 32-year-old began dabbling in the music world back in the 2010s, but his work really picked up steam in 2020 when his debut album Dissimulation shot to number two in the UK charts.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

He later spent time in Hungary, dabbling in nationalist politics and earning a doctorate degree.

From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026

Her head drooped forward into the puddle, the wisps of her blonde hair dabbling in it like tree roots in a bog, and I realized she was asleep.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

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