dabble
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to wet slightly in or with a liquid; splash; spatter.
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Chiefly South Midland U.S. to wash or rinse off lightly.
verb
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to dip, move, or splash (the fingers, feet, etc) in a liquid
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(intr; usually foll by in, with, or at) to deal (with) or work (at) frivolously or superficially; play (at)
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(tr) to daub, mottle, splash, or smear
his face was dabbled with paint
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing dabble
"The Witch Boy" by Molly Knox Ostertag
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The Magician's Nephew
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I Was Their American Dream
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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.
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
It’s tempting for individual investors who think they can sell to a greater fool to dabble, too.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
But The War Between, made under the same deal, draws the Whoniverse's dabble with Disney and its spending power to a close.
From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025
“Lots of people do fortune-telling. I dabble in it myself.”
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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.
