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 of doll

• 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

As a child, Madix would put on shows for her pug, Ming, and a doll of Fievel, the mouse from An American Tail. — Anna Peele, Vanity Fair, 31 Aug. 2026

The founders of iconic brands such as Ideal, Mattel, Marx, Hasbro, Kenner, Wham-O and Madame Alexander dolls shared roots in Yiddish-speaking Europe, and childhoods as the sons and daughters of immigrants. — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026

The dolls and books, which depict 9- and 10-year-olds, became part of daily life for millions of American girls. — Tara Strauch, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026

But Woody the cowboy doll and Buzz Lightyear the action figure are not among the group assembled here. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing doll

• Barbie doll
• bobblehead doll
• doll's house
• doll up
• Matryoshka doll
• nesting doll
• rag doll
• Russian 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