dabbler

noun

dab·​bler ˈda-b(ə-)lər 

: one that dabbles: such as

a

: one not deeply engaged in or concerned with something

b

: a duck (such as a mallard or shoveler) that feeds by dabbling

called also dabbling duck, puddle duck, river duck

Synonyms

• tinkerer
• amateur
• hobbyist

Choose the Right Synonym for dabbler

amateur, dilettante, dabbler, tyro mean a person who follows a pursuit without attaining proficiency or professional status.

amateur often applies to one practicing an art without mastery of its essentials

a painting obviously done by an amateur

; in sports it may also suggest not so much lack of skill but avoidance of direct remuneration.

remained an amateur despite lucrative offers

dilettante may apply to the lover of an art rather than its skilled practitioner but usually implies elegant trifling in the arts and an absence of serious commitment.

had no patience for dilettantes

dabbler suggests desultory habits of work and lack of persistence.

a dabbler who started novels but never finished them

tyro implies inexperience often combined with audacity with resulting crudeness or blundering.

shows talent but is still a mere tyro

Examples of dabbler in a Sentence

he was a dabbler, learning the basics of many arts but mastering none

Recent Examples on the Web

David Byrne came from Baltimore by way of Scotland, a socially awkward dabbler in conceptualist experiments with photography and a veteran of various mediocre cover bands. —Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025

Where Sun is a dabbler, Geffen is an established connoisseur. —Rachel Corbett, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025

In reality, many were just dabblers. —Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 24 Mar. 2025

Others are simply dabblers, like Justin Liam O’Brien. —Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above