1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

daub 1 of 2

verb

ˈdȯb How to pronounce daub (audio)
Definition of daubnext
1
as in to stain
to make dirty a tablecloth daubed with too many spills to ignore any longer

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to smear
to rub an oily or sticky substance over he begins his nightly transformation into a circus clown by daubing greasepaint on his face

Synonyms & Similar Words

daub

2 of 2

noun

as in drawing

Related 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 daub
Verb
The calming design from Japanese architect Kengo Kuma instils a sense of peace, complemented by the villas’ light wood and white color scheme that’s daubed with splashes of ocean blues. — Lauren Keith, Robb Report, 30 May 2026 The burial ground and temple were unearthed when someone tried to build a drainage channel for a modern house; to prevent the dampness of visitors’ breath from damaging the extraordinary artworks daubed on the walls, entry is limited to 80 people per day. — Mark Ellwood, AFAR Media, 25 Feb. 2026
Noun
Japanese cuisine gourmands keen on the snappy, nose-tingling, eye-watering bite of wasabi that accompanies sushi might not know that green daub on their plate may actually be horseradish in disguise. — New Atlas, 8 Dec. 2025 The background resembles flames or perhaps a sunrise with thick orange daubs of paint. — Chloe Mayer, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for daub
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daub
  1. stain
  2. smear
  3. drawing
  4. blacken
  5. paint
  6. portrait
  7. dirty
  8. coat
Verb
  • The case has attracted widespread attention because the nature of Fortune’s death recalled lynchings in the Southern state, which has a tumultuous civil rights history stained by episodes of racial violence.
    — Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • More rubbing produces mahogany, tan and brown hues, caused by staining from contact with vegetation.
    — Jim Zumbo, Outdoor Life, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of stain
Verb
  • The bombshell discovery in the little red dot spectra was that the colors of hydrogen were smeared out across multiple shades.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
  • People have gone from smearing the compound on their faces to using injections, in hopes of achieving firmer, wrinkle-free skin and other anti-aging benefits.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of smear
Noun
  • Not only did the client and architect scale back the building’s height based on the events in New York, but also, the drawings for that scheme were never publicly released.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But, even more specifically, the story is in dialogue with the British artist David Austen’s minimal and piercing drawings.
    — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of drawing
Verb
  • Morawetz also points to baking and air-frying as favorite preparation methods, noting that charring or blackening from direct high-heat grilling can be linked to health risks.
    — Embry Roberts, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Corbin uses cabbage as an anchor in his new and expanding Rolodex of flavors, thrusting it into the fire until the outer layers are blackened and frizzled.
    — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of blacken
Verb
  • One of his biggest projects after returning to public life was a series of portraits of the Statue of Liberty, painted at the White House at the invitation of first lady Nancy Reagan in 1981.
    — BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • In 1981, he was invited by then-first lady Nancy Reagan to paint portraits of the landmark at the White House, according to his official biography.
    — Angelique Brenes, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of paint
Noun
  • Pretenders, the portrait of this first-ballot frontwoman’s venerable punk outfit that just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, gives you a possible answer pretty quickly.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026
  • For the first time, Zvyagintsev made a movie outside of Russia, moving Minotaur’s production to Latvia to stand in for a brutally frank portrait of his homeland at the dawn of the Ukraine war.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of portrait
Verb
  • Satisfy your lasagna craving without dirtying up a pile of dishes.
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 9 July 2026
  • The zipper shoe compartment keeps your shoes from dirtying up your clothing, and the massive interior can hold many outfits for your weekend getaway.
    — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2026
Definition of dirty
Verb
  • Yes, Stark has painted, or, more accurately, anodized, powder-coated, and otherwise bullied into submission just about everything to black.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In these pieces, which are coated in a palette of bright reds, dusky purples, black, and burl, their provenance becomes even murkier.
    — Jill Singer, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of coat

Browse Nearby Words

datum
daub
daubed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Daub.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daub. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 volition

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All