a small figure representing a baby or other human being, especially for use as a child's toy.
a small figure representing a nonhuman character, for use as a toy.
cartoon character dolls.
Slang.
a pretty but expressionless or unintelligent woman.
a girl or woman, especially one who is considered attractive.
a boy or man who is considered attractive.
(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar term of address, as to a child or romantic partner (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, casual acquaintances, subordinates, etc., especially by a male to a female).
Informal. a generous or helpful person.
You're a doll for lending me your car.
Slang. a barbiturate in pill form.
a small model or dummy of a human being, used as a toy
slang a pretty girl or woman of little intelligence: sometimes used as a term of address
First recorded in 1550–60; generic use of Doll
A doll is a toy that looks like a small person, often a baby. When kids play with dolls, they might dress them up, push them in toy strollers, and have pretend tea parties with them. Some dolls are the size of real babies and are played with in a way that's a kind of practice parenting — like pretending to feed and bathe a doll. Other dolls are much smaller and represent people of varying ages, like a family of dolls that are played with in a doll house, sitting at little tables and sleeping in tiny beds. The word doll is also an old-fashioned, slightly offensive term for a woman, especially one who's young and pretty.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The main space is filled with musical instruments, a Buddha statue, a Yoda doll, a skull, and glam platform boots perched atop a piano.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026
In the Netflix film, Swan demonstrates with calipers on a life-size, anatomically correct male baby doll in a coffee shop to the nervous titters of the participants.
From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026
Three-year-old Agatha Acker, in a cute gingham outfit and gas mask, brought along her doll, Betty Lou, also tricked out in a pretty dress, and a gas mask.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
They likened the way images of the young women were changed to "a rag doll brought to life through the dark arts".
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
I’ve never forgotten that she believed that this humble doll came to life for a few sweet moments to save my life.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
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.
