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Synonyms

blob

American  
[blob] / blɒb /

noun

  1. a globule of liquid; bubble.

  2. a small lump, drop, splotch, or daub.

    A blob of paint marred the surface.

  3. an object, especially a large one, having no distinct shape or definition.

    a blob on the horizon.

  4. a dull, slow-witted, and uninteresting person.

verb (used with object)

blobbed, blobbing

  1. to mark or splotch with blobs.

blob British  
/ blɒb /

noun

  1. a soft mass or drop, as of some viscous liquid

  2. a spot, dab, or blotch of colour, ink, etc

  3. a indistinct or shapeless form or object

  4. a slang word for condom

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr) to put blobs, as of ink or paint, on

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • blobby adjective

Etymology

Origin of blob

1400–50; late Middle English; apparently expressive formation

Explanation

A blob is a spot, drop, or a shapeless mass of something, You can't just put blobs of paint on your canvas and call it art! Blob is often used interchangeably with glob or drop. You might top your apple pie with blobs of whipped cream, or put a blob of toothpaste on your toothbrush. And if your map appears to be just blobs of color, you might want to put your glasses on and look again. Blob first appeared as a verb in the 15th century, meaning "to mark with drops or granules," a close relation of bubble.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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.

We are no longer talking about individual law enforcement agencies, but rather a giant, singular blob.

From Slate • Feb. 9, 2026

The limitless blob of MDLs has long needed more structure for processing which claims have merit.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025

In one version of the task, for example, looking left meant the animal judged the blob to be a bunny, while looking right signaled that it looked more like a "T."

From Science Daily • Nov. 28, 2025

"People have been so busy relating to how I look, it's a miracle I didn't become a self-conscious blob of protoplasm. It's not easy being Robert Redford," he once told New York magazine.

From BBC • Sep. 16, 2025

The server picked a blue enamel tin plate from a stack behind her and scooped out a bright yellow blob from the pot in front of her.

From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago

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.