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.

---

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

---

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

Etymology

Origin of dabble

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

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

Such has been the rise of artificial intelligence in everyday life, even Premier League managers are now beginning to dabble in it for those marginal gains.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

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

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

I dabble with a few other instruments: viola, violin, and a little piano.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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

His company rides industry cycles up, down and sideways, and dabbles in woodworking when there’s a lull.

From Seattle Times ● May 31, 2024

He dabbles in dirtbikes in a quest toward finding freedom, which is how we first met.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2024

"Meanin' I wouldn't dare, eh?" says I. Vee only dabbles her pink finger-ends in the little glass bowl, and chuckles like she was rememberin' something funny.

From Wilt Thou Torchy by Sewell Ford

"I've never followed it religiously, but I dabbled in a little bit of weight training and I tried running, although I didn't like that very much," said Bill.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026

She had dabbled in art education, but found including that background seemed to confuse LinkedIn’s algorithm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026

Before launching his presidential bid, De la Espriella lived in Florence, Italy, where he dabbled in opera, jetted around in private planes and promoted his rum and wine businesses.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

Díaz hadn’t fought in MMA since 2022, when he defeated Tony Ferguson, though he had dabbled in boxing.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026

He stood shirtless before the mirror and dabbled some of the perfume on his dark, hairy armpits.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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

The truth is that bitcoin investors may have less to fear from Trump’s dabbling in crypto than in the shortcomings of crypto itself as an asset class.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 28, 2025

Frank remembered Iris, the rainbow goddess, who’d been dabbling in Buddhism and Taoism.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan