dribble

1 of 2

verb

drib·​ble ˈdri-bəl 

dribbled; dribbling ˈdri-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

: to issue sporadically and in small bits

2

: to let or cause to fall in drops little by little

3

a

: to propel by successive slight taps or bounces with hand, foot, or stick

dribble a basketball

dribble a puck

b

: to hit (a ball) without much force so that it bounces slowly along the ground

intransitive verb

1

: to fall or flow in drops or in a thin intermittent stream : trickle

2

: to let saliva trickle from the corner of the mouth : drool

3

: to come or issue in piecemeal or desultory fashion

4

a

: to dribble a ball or puck

b

: to proceed by dribbling

c

of a ball : to move with short bounces

dribbler

ˈdri-b(ə-)lər 

noun

dribble

2 of 2

noun

1

: a tiny or insignificant bit or quantity

2

: a small trickling stream or flow

3

: an act, instance, or manner of dribbling a ball or puck

dribbly

ˈdri-b(ə-)lē 

adjective

Synonyms of dribble

Verb

• drip
• flow

Noun

• speck
• bit
• fleck
• particle
• grain
• scrap
• mouthful
• shred
• lick
• patch
• snippet
• crumb
• molecule
• drop

Examples of dribble in a Sentence

Verb

Juice dribbled down his chin.

She accidentally dribbled wine onto the rug.

Dribble olive oil over the warm bread before serving.

She dribbled across the basketball court.

He skillfully dribbled the soccer ball towards the goal.

Noun

He wiped a dribble of juice from the corner of the baby's mouth.

She gave the ball a dribble before passing it.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Dent raced up the court, kicked to Perry, who dribbled into a 3-pointer, and turned to the crowd, celebrating with a flex and a roar. —Aaron Heisen, Daily News, 1 Feb. 2026

Rutgers star guard Tariq Francis, who already had 26 points, dribbled around half court with seconds to go. —Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

Noun

Miles also dazzled the crowd with behind-the-back dribbles and no-look passes. —Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026

In fact, every one of Ziebell’s 10 triples came right off the catch — no dribbles required. —Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

frequentative of drib to dribble

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1589, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

circa 1682, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing dribble

• double dribble

Rhymes for dribble

• dibble
• gribble
• kibble
• nibble
• quibble
• scribble
• sibyl
• sybil

Kids Definition

dribble

1 of 2 verb

drib·​ble ˈdrib-əl 

dribbled; dribbling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to fall or flow or let fall in small drops : trickle

2

: drool sense 2

3

: to move forward by tapping, bouncing, or kicking

dribble a basketball

dribble a puck

dribbler

-(ə-)lər 

noun

dribble

2 of 2 noun

1

: a small trickling flow

2

: an act or instance of dribbling a ball or puck