doll
noun
a small figure representing a baby or other human being, especially for use as a child's toy.
doll
1 American
[dol]
/ dɒl /
noun
-
dolls
plural
-
a small figure representing a baby or other human being, especially for use as a child's toy.
-
a small figure representing a nonhuman character, for use as a toy.
cartoon character dolls.
-
Slang.
-
a pretty but expressionless or unintelligent woman.
-
a girl or woman, especially one who is considered attractive.
-
a boy or man who is considered attractive.
-
(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address, as to a child or romantic partner (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, casual acquaintances, subordinates, etc., especially by a male to a female).
-
-
Informal. a generous or helpful person.
You're a doll for lending me your car.
-
Slang. a barbiturate in pill form.
verb phrase
Doll
2
American
[dol]
/ dɒl /
noun
doll
British
/ dɒl /
noun
-
a small model or dummy of a human being, used as a toy
-
slang a pretty girl or woman of little intelligence: sometimes used as a term of address
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of doll
First recorded in 1550–60; generic use of Doll
Explanation
A doll is a toy that looks like a small person, often a baby. When kids play with dolls, they might dress them up, push them in toy strollers, and have pretend tea parties with them. Some dolls are the size of real babies and are played with in a way that's a kind of practice parenting — like pretending to feed and bathe a doll. Other dolls are much smaller and represent people of varying ages, like a family of dolls that are played with in a doll house, sitting at little tables and sleeping in tiny beds. The word doll is also an old-fashioned, slightly offensive term for a woman, especially one who's young and pretty.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Under this proposal, assets buried inside a 20-layer Russian nesting doll of shell companies would face a 20% tax penalty when distributed, or 1% for every layer.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 27, 2026
They have deep, all-consuming special interests just like autistic boys, but their preferred subjects are often socially mainstream: unicorns, a particular type of doll.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Mattel unveils a pink Angel Reese No. 5 jersey on the doll with signature Reebok basketball shoes during a full-circle moment following her messy departure from Chicago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Australian police called in to investigate a body found in a suitcase have concluded that the "victim" was in fact a lifelike doll.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Daisy said, “She’s as sweet as a doll; I don’t think it would be hard to find a name for her.”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
The “high-risk” bull market in stocks needs Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh on its side, according to Bob Doll, CEO at Crossmark Global Investments.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
His abstract painting "Doll Boy" -- a reference to his crush on the pop singer Cliff Richard -- caught the eye of the art dealer John Kasmin, who bought it for £40.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
There are some new faces in the Euphoria cast including Poker Face and Russian Doll star Natasha Lyonne, who was on the red carpet with showrunner Levinson.
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
“Stocks are priced for near perfection,” said Bob Doll, chief investment officer at Crossmark Global Investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 21, 2026
After an initial protest, they allowed Wallace to share the Doll Woman letters with Elizebeth.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Sonny Angels are three-inch plastic dolls that are generally naked, except for themed headgear and costumes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026
But Kyla says she personally loves the ones which play on the lyrics "baby" and "honey" by using dolls and real honey as props.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
I certainly haven’t noticed that modern television is overflowing with strapping, brawny men, some sporting magnificent beards or manly manes on their heads, atop bodies as smooth as Barbie dolls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Houston is joining other iconic female musicians as Barbie dolls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Uhmma says all the uhmmas in Mi Gook are pretty like dolls.
From "A Step from Heaven" by An Na
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.
