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
- dabbler noun
- dabblingly adverb
- undabbled adjective
Etymology
Origin of dabble
1550–60; probably dab 1 + -le; compare Dutch dabbelen, dabben
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.
Some investors, especially younger professionals, already dabble in crypto before they seek an adviser.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 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
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
“Yeah! Maybe they’re famous members of a boy band, and they don’t want anyone to know that they also dabble in western-themed amusement parks because it would ruin their cool pop-star image.”
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
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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.