hobby

1 of 3

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 3

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

hobbyist

3 of 3

noun (3)

hob·​by·​ist ˈhäbēə̇st 

-biə̇-

plural -s

1

archaic : one that is preoccupied with a pet idea or cranky obsession

2

: one that has one or more hobbies

especially : one that is particularly fond of cultivating hobbies

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

Once confined to biotech labs and the disposable income of Silicon Valley billionaires, longevity is no longer a tech bro hobby and has become a consumer aspiration in its own right. — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 18 Aug. 2026

Part of what happens with the impressive hobby is that the anticipation and the retelling carry most of its emotional weight, while the experience itself is compressed into a few days and then absorbed into memory. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

LLMs can be quite adept at helping people figure out how to plan and carry out real-world tasks, such as fixing a plumbing leak, repairing a car, or learning a new hobby. — Ian Bogost, Time, 18 Aug. 2026

Event organizer Ethan Robbins said turnout exceeded expectations with many newcomers to the hobby attending. — Sacbee.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Noun (3)

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