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• hobby
  hobby

  noun

  an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.
• Hobby
  Hobby

  noun

  Oveta Culp 1905–1995, U.S. newspaper publisher and government official: first director of Women's Army Corps 1942–45; first Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare 1953–55.

hobby

¹ American  

[hob-ee] / ˈhɒb i /

noun

• hobbies
  plural

1. an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation.

   Her hobbies include stamp-collecting and woodcarving.

2. a child's hobbyhorse.

3. Archaic. a small horse.

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idioms

1. ride a hobby, to concern oneself excessively with a favorite notion or activity. Also ride a hobbyhorse.

hobby ² American  

[hob-ee] / ˈhɒb i /

noun

• hobbies
  plural

1. a small Old World falcon, Falco subbuteo, formerly flown at such small game as larks.

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Hobby ³ American  

[hob-ee] / ˈhɒb i /

noun

1. Oveta Culp 1905–1995, U.S. newspaper publisher and government official: first director of Women's Army Corps 1942–45; first Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare 1953–55.

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hobby ¹ British  

/ ˈhɒbɪ /

noun

1. an activity pursued in spare time for pleasure or relaxation

2. archaic a small horse or pony

3. short for hobbyhorse

4. an early form of bicycle, without pedals

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hobby ² British  

/ ˈhɒbɪ /

noun

1. any of several small Old World falcons, esp the European Falco subbuteo, formerly used in falconry

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hobbyist
  noun
• hobbyless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hobbies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hobby¹

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

Origin of hobby²

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)

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hobby Hobby hobbies

When passersby constantly stopped her on the street to ask about them, she got the idea to level up her hobby.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Backyard bird feeding may seem like a harmless hobby.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

Enthusiastic message boards, blogs dedicated to any niche you could find in any hobby, news and culture websites as renowned for sharp commenters as their stable of writers.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

She explains: "Some will assume you can't spell your own name. Or you love trains. Or you're extremely clever. Or you're hyper focused on a boring hobby."

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

His hobby was always his and his alone, and maybe it’s safer that way.

From "Starfish" by Akemi Dawn Bowman

"Hobby spending is a small amount of overall retail sales, but it's a good gauge of whether consumers have any money leftover in their budgets."

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

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

Airports in New York, Atlanta, New Orleans and Houston have experienced the highest percentage of callouts, according to DHS, with nearly half the TSA workforce at Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport calling out.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 25, 2026

“At Houston’s Hobby Airport,” the network reported, “53% of officers called out on March 8, with 47% calling out the following day.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 15, 2026

“We’d like to get some people together from all walks of life,” said Hobby.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

She said hobbies such as cooking, sewing and gardening were her generation's "rejection of this hyper-digital world that feels really all-consuming".

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

But you should avoid oversharing, for instance including the specifics of your holiday plans, or boasting about things like second homes or expensive hobbies.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Parents who have watched their children cycle through different hobbies, whether it’s crafting friendship bracelets or concocting homemade slime, will recognize the single-minded fervor that has overtaken the students of Class 203.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

It eventually turned going out to the cinema into one of his biggest hobbies.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

“Just try not to destroy it. I have many chores to attend to, so I may not be around much. There should be plenty of toys and hobbies here to keep you busy.”

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

Related Words

• amusement
• art
• avocation
• craft
• diversion
• fad
• fun
• obsession
• specialty
• sport