doll

noun

ˈdäl 

ˈdȯl

1

: a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything

2

a(1)

: a pretty but often empty-headed young woman

(2)

: woman

b

: darling, sweetheart

c

: an attractive person

dollish

ˈdä-lish 

ˈdȯ-

adjective

dollishly adverb

dollishness noun

Synonyms

• dolly
• puppet

Examples of doll in a Sentence

My aunt collects porcelain dolls.

there was a row of dolls along the shelf in the bedroom

Recent Examples on the Web

Selves propagate in Oyeyemi’s fiction: as dolls, doppelgängers, a changeling with double pupils. —Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025

The researchers looked at the responses of 69 pet dogs of varying breeds to a realistic animatronic cat doll. —Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Aug. 2025

Bodrum Castle, on Bodrum Peninsula in southwest Turkey, is a Matryoshka doll of historical marvels. —Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025

Its release follows the brand adding a Venus Williams doll to its Inspiring Women Series in May 2024, as part of Barbie’s 65th anniversary celebration. —Demicia Inman, VIBE.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing doll

• Barbie doll
• bobblehead doll
• doll's house
• doll up
• rag doll

Rhymes for doll

• ahl
• all
• aul
• bawl
• brawl
• call
• caul
• crawl
• dol
• drawl
• fall
• gall

Kids Definition

doll

noun

ˈdäl 

ˈdȯl

1

: a small figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything

2

a

: a pretty young woman

b

: an attractive person