jibe

1 of 3

verb (1)

ˈjīb 

jibed; jibing

intransitive verb

: to be in accord : agree

—usually used with with

a story that doesn't jibe with the facts

jibe

2 of 3

verb (2)

variant spelling of gibe

intransitive verb

: to utter taunting words

transitive verb

: to deride or tease with taunting words

boxers gibing each other before a fight

jibe

3 of 3

verb (3)

variants or less commonly gybe

jibed also gybed; jibing also gybing

intransitive verb

1

: to shift suddenly and forcibly from one side to the other

—used of a fore-and-aft sail or its boom

was the most amazed when he saw me work the boat to and again in the sea by the rudder, and how the sail jibed, and filled this way or that way as the course we sailed changed

—Daniel Defoe

the cutter had lost all four foremost men by the violent jibing of a boom

—Herman Melville

2

: to change a vessel's course when sailing with the wind so that as the stern passes through the eye of the wind the boom swings to the opposite side

transitive verb

: to cause (a sail or vessel) to jibe

this maneuver was bound to force her to jibe her mainsail from one side to the other

—Jack London

jibe noun

or less commonly gybe

Did you know?

Jive vs. Jibe

People began confusing jive and jibe almost immediately after jive entered our language in the late 1920s. In particular, jive is often used as a variant for the sense of jibe meaning “agree,” as in “that doesn’t jive with my memory of what happened.” This use of jive, although increasingly common, is widely considered to be an error. Jibe, however, is accepted as a variant spelling of an entirely different word, which is gibe (“to utter taunting words”).

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• accord
• agree
• answer
• check
• chord
• cohere
• coincide
• comport
• conform
• consist
• correspond
• dovetail
• fit
• go
• harmonize
• rhyme
• rime
• sort
• square
• tally

Examples of jibe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Analysts at Bob Ross Inc. synced up footage from the first episode with the painting in front of them, checking to see if his brushstrokes and knife work on the small screen jibed with the painting in front of them, Kowalski said. —Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023

These numbers jibe with a general trend favoring more independent boards, as ISS-Corporate notes. —Bylila MacLellan, Fortune, 14 Nov. 2023

The strongest looks were a strong black suit or a spliced black shift dress that would jibe perfectly with any gallery opening; other contenders included a white dress worked into a whorl of a blossom on one side, or an abstract print crimped into an asymmetric dress. —Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 26 Sep. 2023

Useful gifts for moms include anything that jibes with their personality and interests. —Sharon Brandwein, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2023

The company’s messaging doesn’t jibe with the day-to-day reality of most people who make audio-only podcasts, as well as the numerous hosting, distribution, and monetization services that form the traditional podcast ecosystem in place for decades. —Amrita Khalid, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2023

Not so designers’ interest in antiquity, which jibes with a feeling of restraint that is in sync with world events. —Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 12 July 2023

Similarly, there are some elements of the RPG experience that don’t jibe so well with exercise. —Antonio G. Di Benedetto, The Verge, 10 July 2023

She is said to have jibed them about Camilla’s great-grandmother, Alice Keppel, being the longtime mistress of King Edward VII. —Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 30 June 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

origin unknown

Verb (3)

perhaps modification of Dutch gijben

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1813, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

1693, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Kids Definition

jibe

1 of 3 verb

variants or gybe

jibed or gybed; jibing or gybing

1

: to shift suddenly from one side to the other

2

: to cause a sail to jibe

jibe

2 of 3

variant of gibe

jibe

3 of 3 verb

jibed; jibing

: to be in agreement

the two reports jibed

Etymology

Verb

perhaps a modified form of Dutch gijben "to shift suddenly from one side to another"

Verb

origin unknown