jibe
1 Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with or without object)
verb (used without object)
-
to shift from one side to the other when running before the wind, as a fore-and-aft sail or its boom.
-
to alter course so that a fore-and-aft sail shifts in this manner.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
jibes
plural
verb
verb
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of jibe1
An Americanism dating back to 1805–15; origin uncertain
Origin of jibe3
First recorded in 1685–95; variant of gybe, from Dutch gijben, more commonly gijpen
Explanation
To jibe with someone is to agree with them. Jibe can also mean “be compatible with or similar to.” If two people jibe, they get along quite well. A jibe can also be an insulting remark as another way to spell gibe. If someone directs that kind of jibe at you, the best response is a really good comeback. And in nautical terminology, jibe refers to a particular manner of changing the course of a ship. How did this word come to have such different meanings? Your guess is as good as ours. Just try to remember that if you want to jibe with others, don’t insult them.
Vocabulary lists containing jibe
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "J," "K," and "L"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The Color of Water
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It also wouldn’t jibe with my understanding, at least, of a democratic replacement process.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
There he meets with his chosen mark: Perla Hildegarda Inclán Arnao, a middle-aged spinster from a fallen family of coffee barons whose reserved nature doesn’t jibe with her passionate letters.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
This week, their relationship took a nosedive as tensions flared over the war and a personal jibe directed at Macron.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
Stepped-up bill issuance by the Treasury would jibe with the Fed’s announced end of quantitative tightening, which was anticipated.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
“The one you don’t like,” I tell her, ignoring her jibe.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
This jibes with the challenge hypothesis, which says, in multiple species, testosterone levels rise when males battle for attention from potential mates and go down when it’s time to take care of the young.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 10, 2026
Some opera singers hoped that the actor’s jibes might actually prove beneficial for the form in a roundabout way.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026
Djokovic is not afraid to go toe to toe with hostile fans, using their jibes to fuel his relentless quest for glory and showing the depth of his competitiveness.
From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026
Before the derby, Martinez was on the receiving end of jibes from former Red Devils midfielders Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes.
From BBC ● Jan. 18, 2026
They’re fighting for control of our psychic selves; the empathy box on one hand, Buster’s guffaws and off-the-cuff jibes on the other.
From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick
Reynolds's involvement with Wrexham AFC, the second tier Welsh soccer side he co-owns with Rob McElhenney, jibed well with Branagh's avid interest in his preferred English Premier League side, said Goldstein.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
We really jibed, me and Kacie, and me and Anna.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
Everything he observed jibed with what he knew of Bruegel the Younger, who had painted several works depicting the same scene of a Spanish official collecting taxes from Flemish peasants.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 4, 2023
"What can you say, let them try," he jibed.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2022
Then with a thundercrack the boom came swinging round and she jibed and jumped northward like a scared cat.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
The whole thing kind of feels like a rehearsal process, you’re in the studio and you’re just trying things and experimenting and just jibing with the creative team.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2022
It came too close to the top mark after the first leg and at the bottom mark, the New Zealand boat Te Rehutai reared up on its foils, then crashed back after a jibing error.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 18, 2020
It was a very strange and uncomfortable case of what was actually on screen not jibing with what we were “supposed” to see.
From Slate ● Dec. 23, 2014
Later, she decided to begin homeschooling her son—regular school “wasn’t jibing with his personality,” she says.
From Salon ● Apr. 28, 2013
Clouds and rain came up on the wind, which veered and gusted so wildly that there was considerable danger of the ship jibing.
From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
