dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈda-bəl 

dabbled; dabbling ˈda-b(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to work or involve oneself superficially or intermittently especially in a secondary activity or interest

dabbles in art

2

a

: to paddle, splash, or play in or as if in water

b

: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water in order to obtain food

transitive verb

: to wet by splashing or by little dips or strokes : spatter

Examples of dabble in a Sentence

The ducks dabbled in the stream.

She sat by the pool, dabbling her feet in the cool water.

Recent Examples on the Web

Refn isn’t the only director who’s been dabbling; there’s been a major increase in the number of filmmakers who are exploring AI, and some brought their projects to show to buyers this year. —Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 23 May 2026

Blockbusters abound, among a murderers’ row of musical icons, at the Guggenheim’s Pop-art show, and in a movie that sees Steven Spielberg dabbling, once again, in aliens. —Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 May 2026

Still, if men have never dabbled into the makeup world before, knowing where to start can be quite overwhelming—not to mention confusing. —Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 May 2026

Toboni grew up in San Francisco as a baseball and basketball player who dabbled with the idea of playing both sports at an Ivy League school. —Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 21 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

perhaps frequentative of dab entry 2

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for dabble

• babble
• babel
• drabble
• gabble
• nabal
• rabble
• scrabble
• immeasurable

Kids Definition

dabble

verb

dab·​ble ˈdab-əl 

dabbled; dabbling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to wet by splashing : spatter

2

a

: to paddle or play in or as if in water

b

: to reach with the bill to the bottom of shallow water to obtain food

ducks dabbled in the pond

3

: to work or concern oneself lightly or without deep involvement

they dabble in poetry

dabbler

-(ə-)lər

noun