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

Verb

• cast
• catapult
• chuck
• dash
• fire
• fling
• heave
• hurl
• hurtle
• launch
• loft
• peg
• pelt
• pitch
• sling
• throw
• toss

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

But because Gobert and Robinson share a profile — rebounding, defense, lob threat — the foundation was familiar. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 7 May 2025

McIlroy played it safe, leaving himself a big target and a lob wedge. —Time, 14 Apr. 2025

Verb

Not to be outdone, Visa and Mastercard lobbed their own stablecoin trial balloons right back. —Christian Catalini, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

The pair became fast friends when Varsho was traded to the Blue Jays ahead of the 2023 season, dancing in the outfield after wins and lobbing jokes and jabs in their corner of the clubhouse. —Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

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)

1508, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, 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)