dinghy

noun

din·​ghy ˈdiŋ-ē 

-gē

plural dinghies

1

a

: a small boat carried on or towed behind a larger boat as a tender or a lifeboat

b

: a small sailboat

2

: a rubber life raft

3

: a rowboat or sailboat used to carry passengers or cargo on the coasts of India especially in sheltered waters around the peninsula

Synonyms of dinghy

• yacht
• ship
• schooner
• sailboat
• sloop
• frigate

Examples of dinghy in a Sentence

we went sailing on the secluded lake in a little two-person dinghy

Recent Examples on the Web

The arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers across the English Channel in dinghies each year has kept the subject high up the political agenda. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

The arrival of tens of thousands of asylum seekers across the English Channel in dinghies each year has kept the subject high on the political agenda. — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

And to explore the surroundings, the schooner has a sailing dinghy and bicycles prepped and ready for its passengers. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026

Our little aluminum dinghy drifted too close to a herd of hippos, and the dominant male glowered at us before disappearing menacingly below the surface. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Bengali ḍiṅgi, Urdu ḍīngī & Hindi ḍieṁgī

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for dinghy

• springy
• stringy

Kids Definition

dinghy

noun

din·​ghy ˈdiŋ-ē 

-gē

plural dinghies

1

: a small rowboat or sailboat

especially : one carried on a larger boat

2

: a rubber life raft