stab

1 of 2

noun

ˈstab 

1

: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon

2

a

: a thrust of a pointed weapon

b

: a jerky thrust

3

: effort, try

I'll take a stab at it.

4

: a sudden sharp feeling

stabs of regret

stab

2 of 2

verb

stabbed; stabbing

transitive verb

1

: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon

2

: thrust, drive

intransitive verb

: to thrust or give a wound with or as if with a pointed weapon

stabber noun

see also:

stab in the back

Synonyms of stab

Noun

• puncture
• punch

Verb

• pierce
• puncture
• jab
• pick
• stick

Examples of stab in a Sentence

Noun

the injection left a small stab on her upper arm

everybody will get a stab at solving the problem

Verb

He stabbed her with a dagger.

The victim was stabbed in the chest five times.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The Metropolitan Police discovered Riley, whose real name was Mark Orabiyi, in the garden of a residence in the Silvertown area of East London with multiple stab wounds on Friday June, 5, according to an official press release. —Liza Esquibias, USA Today, 8 June 2026

Upon arrival, deputies found all three people suffering from non-life-threatening stab wounds. —Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 7 June 2026

Verb

Jury convicted Anthony earlier Tuesday The jury convicted Anthony of murder in the stabbing death of 17‑year‑old Austin Metcalf at a Frisco ISD track meet – a case that drew national attention and intensified conversations about self‑defense, race, and safety at school events. —Doug Myers, CBS News, 10 June 2026

Emotional testimony details shocking stabbing The trial, which began with jury selection on June 1, included emotional testimony from eye witnesses and graphic video footage of the chaotic event, CBS News reported. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 10 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English stabbe

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1530, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Phrases Containing stab

• a stab in the dark
• give it a stab
• have a stab at
• stab in the back
• take/make a stab at

Rhymes for stab

• ab
• cab
• crab
• dab
• drab
• fab
• gab
• grab
• jab
• lab
• mab
• nab

Kids Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun

ˈstab 

1

: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon

2

: a thrust of a pointed weapon

3

: effort sense 2, try

I'll take a stab at it

stab

2 of 2 verb

stabbed; stabbing

1

: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon

2

: thrust entry 1 sense 1, drive

stabber noun

Medical Definition

stab

1 of 2 noun

ˈstab 

1

: a wound produced by a pointed object or weapon

2

a

: a culture medium solidified in an upright column in a tube to reduce the surface to a minimum compare slant

b

: stab culture

stab

2 of 2 transitive verb

stabbed; stabbing

: to wound or pierce by the thrust of a pointed object or weapon