an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.
Her hobbies include stamp-collecting and woodcarving.
a child's hobbyhorse.
Archaic. a small horse.
an activity pursued in spare time for pleasure or relaxation
archaic a small horse or pony
short for hobbyhorse
an early form of bicycle, without pedals
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English hoby(n), probably from Robin, or Robert ( cf. hob 2), used as horse's name, as in dobbin
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English hoby, from Middle French hobé, variant of Middle French, Old French hobel (compare French hobereau ), probably noun derivative of hobeler “to skirmish, harass,” perhaps from Middle Dutch hob(b)elen “to turn, roll”; compare Dutch hobbelen “to rock, jolt” ( cf. hobble)
A hobby is an activity that you do in your spare time for fun. Your hobby may be putting together model train sets and driving your mom crazy from all the noise. In the 13th century the word hobby referred to a small horse or a pony. It later came to describe a toy horse — a hobbyhorse. It’s from the hobbyhorse that the word’s modern sense of “favorite pastime” evolved. A hobby is something that you do for fun — not money — and you typically do it fairly regularly. Collecting stamps, growing roses, reading — any of these can be hobbies.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I didn’t realize that optimizing my travel points meant picking up a new hobby: constantly comparing prices on travel portals, which is where you redeem your credit-card points for plane tickets, hotels and experiences.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
A much-loved hobby became what some would consider impossible.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
It’s a big hobby, pin trading, that I picked up in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
When Weinberg talks about fly fishing, he speaks of it less as a single hobby than a constellation of interests, where each angler finds their own corner to obsess over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
It was a harmless enough hobby, but eventually I had to give it up.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Polling from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston also found that Republican primary voters see both candidates as equally strong for the general election context.
From Salon ● May 20, 2026
It was challenged by several aspiring tinkerers and the Hobby Distillers Association.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
National deployment officers from the TSA were deployed to Houston’s Hobby Airport on March 10, and they continue to assist with staffing shortages as of Friday afternoon, an airport spokesperson confirmed.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 20, 2026
Hobby apps are taking on some features of social media, too: in 2023, Strava introduced a messaging feature letting users chat directly.
From BBC ● Feb. 13, 2025
At Riddick’s request, Wilbur Hobby, the AFL-CIO leader, telephoned C.P. to let him know about the first organizational meeting to be held at the local YWCA.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
The Keller, Texas, resident’s hobbies, which include travel and golf, wouldn’t replace the routine he thrives on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
An avid online gamer, he also makes time for his family and his hobbies.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
The AI assistant can recommend people looking for a serious relationship, someone with common hobbies or even above a certain height or age.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
My spouse, age 60, recently retired to spend more time with family and pursue her hobbies.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 15, 2026
She talked of his hobbies and talents, how he was celebrated at his funeral as one of the great rocket scientists.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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.
