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

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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

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

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Etymology

Origin of jab

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

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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

When Jenette Torres Odena's three-year-old son fell ill days after receiving a jab as part of a Philippine vaccination drive, his photograph quickly spread on Facebook alongside claims the inoculation had killed him.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

This isn’t a jab at the project — “U” is an incredible album and the song is just that good.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

“This isn’t a vaccine study, where you jab people and see them in a year,” says William Blair analyst Myles Minter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

This explains Carney’s jab, at his press conference last weekend, that the United States’ signature is sometimes “written in pencil.”

From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026

Angel slipped the jab, and Denny slipped the jab, while Henry screamed and Bud yelled, and sometimes Donatelli watched and sometimes he didn't.

From "The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte

Fewer than 800 Scots have received jabs for weight loss on the NHS despite them being approved for use three years ago, BBC News has found.

From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026

By contrast, in America today, billionaires treat longevity like a full-time job, locking themselves in cryotherapy chambers, getting regular peptide jabs and making the pursuit of living forever look thoroughly joyless.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

As if this whole affair weren’t self-satisfied enough, Iñárritu jabs his finger at the audience one last time.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

The chain had officially entered chicken sandwich territory, and this quickly spurred a massive fight with the OG sandwich maker Chick-fil-A, with the two brands throwing jabs at each other online for weeks.

From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026

Jolts and jabs of pain rocketed around inside me.

From "The Honest Truth" by Dan Gemeinhart

In Germany, parents can be fined if their children aren't jabbed against measles.

From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026

Silva later told investigators she was jabbed with the stick, but nowhere in the video does she report it to the officers assisting her.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026

Then an allergist jabbed him with a needle.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026

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

He jabbed a finger at Mama, who recoiled away from it.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

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

Capturing, jabbing, and tracking each wild Elanora koala is basically double that.

From BBC ● Dec. 29, 2024

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

From BBC ● Dec. 21, 2024

“No!” he barked to the sky, jabbing a claw upward.

From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman

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