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

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

I try to dabble with producing here and there because I have ideas, but it’s the real musicians, the real artists that take the ideas that I might pitch out and create something with it.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026

Coinbase’s recent announcement made some social-media users wonder if it was actually a good thing for nontechnical staffers to dabble in coding, even with AI assistance.

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 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

Even the league’s most respected organizations appear to dabble in selective losing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 1, 2026

Volpe began to dabble in somewhat edgier fare, beginning with Pippin, a dark and existential musical inspired by the story of Charlemagne’s rebellious son.

From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove

She also dabbles in other technologies, including quantum computing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

He serves today as Donald Trump’s pardon attorney, but Martin also dabbles in other projects for the president, who reportedly speaks to him frequently on the phone.

From Salon ● Feb. 1, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 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

If this is true every person who wears old collars or dabbles his hands in dirt should without exception contract boils.

From The Healthy Life, Vol. V, Nos. 24-28 The Independent Health Magazine by Charles William Daniel

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

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

On the other, he knew that the company had dabbled in off-kilter programming offerings for the past 50 years.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026

That helps explain the contrast with other superstars like Rajinikanth who also dabbled with politics but stopped short.

From BBC ● May 5, 2026

Netflix has previously dabbled with theatrical releases, typically putting movies in several hundred cinemas for a few weeks at most before premiering them online.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026

I dabbled my fingers in the bowl of warm water a Ladies' Day waitress set down in place of my two empty ice cream dishes.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

She grew up wanting to play basketball and dabbling in football, but she has been the de facto face of women who play baseball without picking a bat up for a half-decade.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 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

I moved to China for three and a half years, taking full advantage of the local happy hours, dabbling in fine dining and even splitting the cost of a housekeeper with my roommate.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026

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

From Salon ● Apr. 22, 2026

“Better he should express himself into a better apprenticeship. He’ll come of nothing dabbling in Peale’s paint pots.”

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson