dumbbell

American  

[duhm-bel] / ˈdʌmˌbɛl /

noun

• dumbbells
  plural

1. a gymnastic apparatus consisting of two wooden or metal balls connected by a short bar serving as a handle, used as a weight for exercising.

2. a stupid person.

   Synonyms:

   dimwit, blockhead, fool, ignoramus, dunce

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dumbbell British  

/ ˈdʌmˌbɛl /

noun

1. gymnastics weightlifting an exercising weight consisting of a single bar with a heavy ball or disc at either end

2. a small wooden object shaped like this used in dog training for the dog to retrieve

3. slang a fool

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• dumbbells
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of dumbbell

First recorded in 1705–15; dumb + bell ¹

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Explanation

A dumbbell is a type of weight you might see at a gym. You typically lift a dumbbell with one hand — unless it's too heavy and you accidentally drop it on your foot. Ouch! The short, handheld exercise weights are known as dumbbells, while the larger weights that require two hands for lifting are barbells. If you're new to weightlifting, you might want to start doing bicep curls with light dumbbells. The name comes from the bar once used to ring a church bell: dumbbells resemble these ringers, although they're dumb, or "silent." Dumbbell is also used in a derogatory way to mean "stupid person."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dumbbell dumbbells

She describes how Dailey, ever hopeful of being exonerated, stayed fit with the help of an improvised dumbbell made by stuffing a pillowcase with his copious legal paperwork.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

This typically happens during the lowering portion of a movement, such as bringing a dumbbell down, walking downstairs, or slowly lowering yourself into a chair.

From Science Daily ● May 1, 2026

“Man, I’ll be seeing his little Instagram posts, the benches, the dumbbell benches. Hey, he can get me whenever he’s ready.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2025

He was injured returning a dumbbell to its rack in Toronto’s weight room.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 28, 2023

I rushed to the phone, stopping just long enough to hit my ankle into a dumbbell.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers

This can include lifting weights such as dumbbells, using gym machines or resistance bands, or using your own body weight in exercises such as squats, step-ups or press-ups.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Madison Hildreth, 28, a fitness trainer in Austin, Texas, keeps 8-pound dumbbells in her room for this express purpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

“We use dumbbells like you’d use at the gym,” Porciuncula says, “not those inflatable ones or foam ones, plus weighted medicine balls, kickboards, paddles and other aqua resistance equipment.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 1, 2026

Cedars-Sinai’s Gulati notes the many different forms of strength training beyond the stereotypical image of iron dumbbells or a hulking barbell.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2024

Before that the gym here had been an old, dingy room, with a handful of mismatched dumbbells and decaying equipment that looked like it was made about a year after the wheel had been invented.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

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