dinghy
Americannoun
-
dinghies
plural
-
any small boat designed as a tender or lifeboat, especially a small ship's boat, rowed, sailed, or driven by a motor.
-
a boat used by warships, having four single-banked oars and a spritsail.
-
any of various rowing or sailing boats used in sheltered waters along the Indian coasts to transport passengers and freight.
-
an inflatable life raft.
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of dinghy
1785–95; < Bengali diṅgi, Hindi ḍiṅgī, diminutive of ḍiṅgā boat
Explanation
A long journey by sea requires a large ship, but if you’re out for an afternoon on the pond, you may want to take the dinghy, a small boat. A dinghy, pronounced "DING-ee," is a lifeboat found on board of a ship in case of emergency, but it can also be a rowboat used for fishing or just relaxing out on the water. The unusual spelling of this word reflects its exotic origins, in the Hindi word ḍiṅgī. Be sure to remember to include the silent “h” when you spell dinghy.
Vocabulary lists containing dinghy
Seas The Day: Words That Shore Are Beachy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Flush
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary from news articles about rescued teenage sailor
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Rescuers said they were astonished and alarmed to see the number of people packed onto the dinghy.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
The Sun leads with reports of a "dinghy flotilla in Channel", writing that the boats carried "up to 1,000 migrants headed for Britain".
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
A teenager charged over a small boat Channel crossing was allegedly piloting a "mega dinghy" carrying a record 165 migrants from France to England, the National Crime Agency has said.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Chinese dissident Dong Guangping reached South Korea in a rubber dinghy after a 30-hour journey, facing immigration charges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Grandpa Bobby had already given Dad the full story, while they were out on the towboat searching for our dinghy.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
Of the 12 dinghies stopped so far at sea, three interceptions took place in the last two weeks.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
That number is less than the so-called mega dinghies seen this summer but matches recent averages as well as the general trend of rising passenger numbers.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
More than 9,000 life jackets, dozens of dinghies and engines and 360 pumps were seized by police this spring during a joint operation involving the UK, France and Germany in the North Rhine-Westphalia region.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Yet Iran primarily sets mines using frogmen on small boats that resemble ordinary fishing vessels, an informal maritime militia of dinghies that is virtually impossible to identify and eliminate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
She had rowed in dinghies and been out once or twice on large fishing boats.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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.
