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dove

noun

ˈdəv How to pronounce dove (audio)
Definition of dovenext
1
as in pacifist
a person who opposes war or warlike policies the doves were in favor of using the surplus to improve the nation's schools and not its weapons systems

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in angel
an innocent or gentle person he's a dove who wouldn't hurt a fly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dove For reference, according to one Argentinian lodge, the record number for doves shot in a single day is 14,000. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026 The craggy scarps were distant and blue, afloat in the thin dove-grey haze of early September. — Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026 Mourning doves are the most common species of bird struck, accounting for about 11% of incidents, the FAA said. — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 11 Aug. 2026 By the fourth verse, as the baby dove falls asleep beneath its mother’s wing, Josée had stopped breathing. — Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dove
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dove
  1. pacifist
  2. angel
  3. sheep
  4. innocent
  5. lamb
Noun
  • Wendell Berry, the prolific novelist, poet, essayist, philosopher, agrarian, activist, pacifist and farmer, who was one of Kentucky's greatest writers and helped inspire the farm-to-table and modern American food movement, has died.
    — Courier Journal staff, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The arguments of English philosopher, mathematician, pacifist, and Nobel Prize winner Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) in favor of free speech and inquiry were explosive for the young Basiji.
    — Matt Thompson, SPIN, 8 July 2026
Definition of pacifist
Noun
  • Her fantastical Biblical scenes, of a graphic, storybook sensibility, sometimes showed angels, and Christ himself, as chalky white, and this rang in some Black critical circles as a sign of backwater unsophistication.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Bream and Teller closed Anywears’ pre-seed round with angel investors within the private equity and finance sectors in January, with another round of funding slated for early 2027.
    — Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of angel
Noun
  • Nordic Fair Isle prints and anything with sheep, stripes, or funky patterns are fantastic sellers.
    — Ashley Poskin, Martha Stewart, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The highest-ticket item is a funnel-neck jacket in rich chocolate sheep leather that dissolves into black toward the waist (399€), which can be paired with a matching pencil skirt.
    — Tina Isaac-Goizé, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of sheep
Noun
  • On that terrible day, millions of Americans witnessed airplanes flying into buildings, people jumping off skyscrapers, and the Twin Towers collapsing with thousands of innocents inside.
    — Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked.
    — Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of innocent
Noun
  • That’s why there’s a little lamb stuffie at the end, just to tie it all together.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Revived signs The Cub’s exterior sign, and name, came from a now-defunct Cub Tavern that operated from the 1940s to 1980s where Bar Gernika now serves lamb grinders.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of lamb

Browse Nearby Words

dousing
dove
dovecote
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Cite this Entry

“Dove.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dove. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dove

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dove

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