hobby

1 of 2

noun (1)

hob·​by ˈhä-bē 

plural hobbies

: a small Old World falcon (Falco subbuteo) that is dark blue above and white below with dark streaking on the breast

hobby

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural hobbies

: a pursuit outside one's regular occupation engaged in especially for relaxation

Writing is just a hobby of his.

Her hobbies include gardening and bird-watching.

hobbyist

ˈhä-bē-ist 

noun

Synonyms of hobby

Noun (2)

• pursuit
• sport
• avocation
• recreation
• amusement

Examples of hobby in a Sentence

Noun (2)

his ranch is just a weekend hobby—he makes his real money as an investment banker

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Older millennials, born between 1978 and 1988 by BofA’s definition, spend more per customer on hobbies than any other generation, Fortune reported last month. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026

Many of the books are tailored toward activities and hobbies, such as gardening, wine cellars, recipes and sports. — David Moin, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026

Over the course of a couple of weeks, the hobby developer, alongside the AI tools, discovered more than 40 improvements that dramatically boosted frames per second when inside a town. — Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026

Maine didn’t have the typical music scenes of the Midwest or West Coast and his old-time hobby of busking felt moot with everyone cooped up inside their homes. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English hoby, from Anglo-French hobel, hobé

Noun (2)

short for hobbyhorse

First Known Use

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1816, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hobby

• bobbie
• bobby
• knobby
• lobby
• nabi
• nobby
• panjabi
• punjabi
• wahhabi

Kids Definition

hobby

noun

hob·​by

ˈhäb-ē

plural hobbies

: an interest or activity to which a person devotes time for pleasure

hobbyist

-ē-əst

noun