gibe
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
- giber noun
- gibingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of gibe
First recorded before 1560–70; perhaps from Middle French giber “to handle roughly, shake,” derivative of gibe “staff, billhook”
Explanation
"Loser! Bonehead!" the kids shouted, tossing those words and other gibes at the people who offered themselves up to the annual humiliation of the harvest-fest dunk-tank. A gibe is an insulting comment. To gibe is to insult. Gibe can be a noun or a verb, but it’s usually a noun meaning an insult, a dis, something to be hurled at enemies, bad drivers, or ex-boyfriends. Gibe is sometimes spelled jibe, but that word has a different meaning and is usually a verb. Keep the g in gibe when referring to the mean words you utter at people who have done you wrong.
Vocabulary lists containing gibe
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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!
"Easter, 1916" by W.B. Yeats
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!
Othello
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.
In his telling, the general’s gibe reflected the new current of naturalistic explanation that influenced Pericles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
One recalls Talleyrand’s famous gibe at Napoleon for executing the Duke of Enghien in 1804: “It’s worse than a crime; it’s a mistake.”
From Slate • Apr. 8, 2026
Though the accusation doesn’t gibe with Mia’s slowly returning memories, it’s one more signal to her that the rebuilding process is fraught, incomplete and fragile enough to be approached with understanding above all.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 29, 2023
“Now is not the time for excuses; now is the time for creativity and pragmatism,” she said in a thinly veiled gibe at Scholz.
From Washington Post • Apr. 26, 2022
The words jibe, gibe, and jive are all verbs meaning to “kid” or “heckle.” lay/lie.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
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.
