lob

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈläb 

dialectal British

: a dull heavy person : lout

lob

2 of 4

verb

lobbed; lobbing

transitive verb

1

: to let hang heavily : droop

2

: to throw, hit, or propel easily or in a high arc

3

: to direct (something, such as a question or comment) so as to elicit a response

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move slowly and heavily

b

: to move in an arc

2

: to hit a tennis ball easily in a high arc

lob

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a soft high-arching shot, throw, or kick

lob-

4 of 4

combining form

variants or lobo-

: lobe

lobar

lobotomy

Synonyms of lob

Verb

• throw
• hurl
• toss
• fling

Examples of lob in a Sentence

Verb

She lobbed a throw to the pitcher.

The soldier lobbed a grenade into the bunker.

He lobbed the ball over his opponent's head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Then, Alba revealed the finished look, showing off a smooth lob that went just past her shoulders and curled under at the ends. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 21 July 2026

His best moment was a one-handed flush of Vsevolod Ishchenko’s 50-foot lob pass. — Christian Clark, New York Times, 20 July 2026

Verb

At this point, the owners and the union are merely sparring, lobbing jabs back and forth without really engaging in true hand-to-hand combat. — Dan Freedman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

Remarkably, France didn’t register a shot on target until the 82nd minute, when the substitute Desire Doue tried to lob the Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon from more than 30 yards out. — Stuart James, New York Times, 18 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably of Low German origin; akin to Low German lubbe coarse person

Verb

lob a loosely hanging object

Combining form

lobe

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1533, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1883, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lob

• blob
• bob
• cob
• daub
• fob
• glob
• gob
• hob
• job
• knob
• mob
• rob

Kids Definition

lob

1 of 2 verb

ˈläb 

lobbed; lobbing

: to send (as a ball) in a high arc by hitting or throwing easily

lob

2 of 2 noun

: a lobbed throw or shot (as in tennis)