dingbat

noun

ding·​bat ˈdiŋ-ˌbat How to pronounce dingbat (audio)
1
: a typographical symbol or ornament (such as *, ¶, or ✠)
2

Examples of dingbat in a Sentence

I told you it wouldn't work, you dingbat! a dingbat who was constantly firing off nonsensical letters to the editor
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The varied styles include: Arts & Crafts, Streamline Moderne, Brutalist, Art Deco, Victorian, Googie, along with ranch style homes, elegant steel and glass residences, and dingbat apartment complexes, to name a few. R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025 Again, how can someone be so essential, so rich and, at the same time, such a dingbat? Daniel Vergano, Scientific American, 13 Sep. 2024 He was inspired to invent these elders by contemplating the oddly textured cinder blocks of a dingbat apartment on 6th Avenue in Venice. Mark Gozonsky, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2023 There are various residences currently on the project site including 10 bungalows, five dingbat apartments (the kind built over a two-car garage in sunnier states), and a single-family home across multiple lots, according to the Los Angeles Times. Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 9 Aug. 2023

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1904, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dingbat was in 1904

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dingbat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dingbat. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!