jab

American  

[jab] / dʒæb /

verb (used with object)

jabbed, jabbing

1. to poke, or thrust abruptly or sharply, as with the end or point of a stick or with the finger or elbow.

2. to punch with a short, quick blow.

3. Informal. to give (a person) a hypodermic injection, especially of a vaccine: I jab myself with insulin twice a day.

   Here’s a list of the countries you can visit if you haven’t been jabbed.

   I jab myself with insulin twice a day.

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verb (used without object)

jabbed, jabbing

1. to poke or punch with a sharp, quick blow.

noun

1. a poke with the end or point of something; a sharp, quick thrust.

2. a short, quick punch.

3. Informal. a hypodermic injection, especially of a vaccine.

   Have you gotten your flu jab yet?

4. Informal. an abrupt insult or critical remark.

   That guy has no problem responding with a sarcastic jab.

5. a sudden and unpleasant sensation or emotion: He knew she was happier now, but he still felt the slightest jab of guilt.

   I have jabs of pain, numbness, and tingling in my fingers.

   He knew she was happier now, but he still felt the slightest jab of guilt.

jab British  

/ dʒæb /

verb

1. to poke or thrust sharply

2. to strike with a quick short blow or blows

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noun

1. a sharp poke or stab

2. a quick short blow, esp (in boxing) a straight punch with the leading hand

3. informal an injection

   polio jabs

Other Word Forms

• jabbing
  adjective
• jabbingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of jab

First recorded in 1825–35; variant, originally Scots, of job ²

Explanation

When you jab someone, you poke that person. No one on the school bus wants to sit next to the kid who tends to jab people in their ribs with his sharp elbows. You might accidentally jab a man on the elevator with your umbrella, or jab your annoying brother on purpose when he's talking with his mouth full at dinner. Another kind of jab is a quick, sharp punch, especially the kind you make in martial arts. The word comes from the Scottish job, "to strike, pierce, or thrust," which in turn is rooted in the Middle English jobben, "to jab or thrust."

Example Sentences

There is currently no vaccine for this species and the WHO has said it could take up to nine months for a jab to be ready.

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Virologist Thomas Geisbert, who helped develop the Ervebo vaccine, has designed a similar, single-injection jab targeting the Bundibugyo strain that research on monkeys has found offers protection against the virus.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

On the call with shareholders this past Monday, Sankar appeared to take a jab at those efforts, saying the labs were trying to imitate Palantir.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026

After decades of research, Australian scientists had developed a pioneering new jab, named Gardasil, which could prevent HPV - and it had been approved by the medicines regulator.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

I jab my thumb to point so they know where I am talking about.

From "The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle" by Leslie Connor

Related Words

• dig
• punch