jab

American  

[jab] / dʒæb /

verb (used with object)

• jabs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• jabbed,
  past participle,  past
• jabbing
  present participle

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)

• jabs,
  present (3rd person singular)
• jabbed,
  past participle,  past
• jabbing
  present participle

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

noun

• jabs
  plural

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

---

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

Derived Forms

• jabbing
  adjective
• jabbingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• jabs
  plural

Participles

• jabbing
  present
• jabbed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• jab
  simple
• jabs
  simple
• have jabbed
  perfect
• has jabbed
  perfect
• am jabbing
  progressive
• are jabbing
  progressive
• is jabbing
  progressive
• have been jabbing
  perfect progressive
• has been jabbing
  perfect progressive

Past

• jabbed
  simple
• had jabbed
  perfect
• was jabbing
  progressive
• were jabbing
  progressive
• had been jabbing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will jab
  simple
• will have jabbed
  perfect
• will be jabbing
  progressive
• will have been jabbing
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

jab jabs jabbed jabbing

The Singapore-based Hilleman Laboratories announced on Thursday it would advance the rVSV Bundibugyo jab so it can be tested on humans during clinical trials.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

Kurosawa takes the opportunity for a friendly jab.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

The Ervebo vaccine needs to be stored at ultra-low temperatures, however the new Bundibugyo jab is hoped to last for months in normal refrigerators, making it cheaper and easier to deploy to remote areas.

From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026

According to Worldpanel, over half of weight-loss jab users surveyed describe their approach to eating as "mindful", meaning they are guided by hunger cues rather than habit or routine.

From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026

That jab stung Otto to his very core.

From "The Last Last-Day-of-Summer" by Lamar Giles

Characters deliver jabs at “Jeff Bozos” and the Epstein class while slyly revealing you shouldn’t trust their takes, either.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The Metro also leads on a jabs story, but instead headlines on weight loss injections.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

There's Lily, the 18-year-old who finally gets her son Grayson his polio and diphtheria jabs.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

According to the salon owner, when she was invited to join the cast of “RHOSLC” in 2021, she wasn’t prepared for the jabs that would be aimed at Trujillo or the toll it would take.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

“I am not permitted to give out personal information,” he replies blandly, as he jabs at the screen in front of him.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

And the midtempo ballad “The Knife” describes a collapsing relationship as a mortal threat, akin to a dagger jabbed into one’s side or a case of kerosene waiting to be ignited.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Later that afternoon I rammed my hand into that pocket and jabbed my finger.

From BBC ● Dec. 2, 2025

It was also possible that he accidentally jabbed himself, through his gloves, on a needle or a patient’s teeth.

From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2025

“In the race to be my best friend between Senator Fetterman and Governor Hobbs, Governor Hobbs wins by a jillion,” Stewart jabbed.

From Salon ● Nov. 6, 2024

There was more than enough room for me to move easily, but a thorn jabbed me when I got too close.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

The artist and buyer were nonconformists, jabbing at, well, something.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 18, 2026

He loved to say it on the stump with his trademark snarl and jabbing finger.

From Salon ● Dec. 11, 2025

"His jabbing was superb, his footwork was superb, he wasn't slow. He was very evasive."

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2024

Bookless has used two months’ worth of the semaglutide over three months of jabbing herself weekly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2024

Jessie had said, jabbing her index finger in the middle of the big A on Jefferson’s letterman jacket.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

Related Words

• dig
• punch