dabbling 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of dabblingnext
as in entertaining

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

dabbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dabble
as in delighting
to take part in an activity in a superficial way She dabbled in drawing and painting but sculpture was her favorite medium.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dabbling
Verb
Now, true art therapy is more than dabbling in painting or pottery. — Stephanie Vermillion, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026 Go for a classic triangle-eye grinning gourd, but also consider dabbling in something a little different. — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026 That’s not to say there isn’t opportunity — Netflix and Amazon spent about $40 billion combined on video and music content last year — but the degree of difficulty, especially for the sports stars dabbling in unfamiliar territory, has intensified. — Justin Birnbaum, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 Savchenko has been actively pursuing opportunities outside of dancing and is dabbling with a career in acting. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026 Waffle House, the iconic, 24-hour Southern diner, is dabbling in another comfort food — the beloved taco. — Amy Wenk, AJC.com, 20 Aug. 2026 Brown is a creative and curious cook, and is constantly dabbling in cultural influences to keep things fresh. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026 Thomas was first brought on as somewhat of an amateur photographer to take pictures of Julia’s outfits, but soon the pair were dabbling in affiliate revenue spaces. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026 Nature lovers shouldn’t miss taking a dip in Lake Saimaa, walking through the forest to pick berries and mushrooms, going on a seal tour to spot the endangered Saimaa ringed seal, or dabbling in canoeing, cycling, hiking, and fishing. — Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 16 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dabbling
  1. entertaining
  2. delighting
  3. goofy
  4. playing
  5. fun
  6. amusing
  7. frivolous
  8. trifling
Adjective
  • Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
    — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 30 Sep. 2026
  • This deeply entertaining and emotional film never skirts the scientific process, but instead fully embraces it at every turn.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of entertaining
Verb
  • Here, misfits are welcome, and bric-a-brac is part of the appeal; the wonderfully bizarre name and devil-may-care attitude have been confusing (and delighting) first-timers for more than 70 years.
    — Skye Sherman, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2026
  • It’s been a little over a year since San Jose said farewell to Sophia, the 21-year-old jaguar who had been at the San Jose zoo for nearly her entire life, delighting millions of guests.
    — Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of delighting
Adjective
  • This gives the Blackjaw a more compact, natural form without having a big, goofy faux-carabiner jutting out the end.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The only player who can match Mbappé for talent is Haaland who, unlike Mbappé, has a goofy, accessible and affable persona online.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of goofy
Verb
  • The Miami Hurricanes are back on the road and playing under the lights in a key Atlantic Coast Conference game.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
  • And his relatives in turn gave notes to the actors playing their younger selves and were encouraged to interrogate Ba as his coming-of-age story was dramatized.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of playing
Adjective
  • The cruise features an early stop at Norwegian’s private island in the Bahamas, Great Stirrup Cay, which just opened its new water park, making for a fun day in the sun.
    — Megan duBois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Happy birthday to this wonderful, kind, loving, caring, fun, funny, wise young man!
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of fun
Verb
  • The podcast added its own layer of lighthearted commentary, signaling that even those closest to the Kelce family found the coverage amusing rather than newsworthy.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 9 Mar. 2026
  • The podcast, which has become a cultural touchstone in its own right, signaled that even those closest to the Kelce family found the coverage amusing rather than newsworthy.
    — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of amusing
Adjective
  • Many academics see sports as frivolous and corrupting, as a distraction from the higher purpose of moral and intellectual formation—and as the most visible sign of the commercialization and corporatization of the modern university.
    — Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Movies The world of fashion is often thought of as frivolous—more spangles than substance, more commerce than art.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of frivolous
Verb
  • In the mid-19th century, the question was of trifling interest to mapmakers, who had far more than four colors at their disposal and saw no particular reason to restrict their palette.
    — Gregory Barber, Quanta Magazine, 10 Sep. 2026
  • But that still left the less-than-trifling matter of the second tier’s title to settle, as the teams were locked together on 97 points with one game still to play.
    — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Definition of trifling

Browse Nearby Words

dabbles
dabbling
dab hand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dabbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dabbling. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dabbling

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dabbling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of discreet

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All