doll

noun

ˈdäl 

ˈdȯl

1

: a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything

2

a(1)

: a pretty but often empty-headed young woman

(2)

: woman

b

: darling, sweetheart

c

: an attractive person

dollish

ˈdä-lish 

ˈdȯ-

adjective

dollishly adverb

dollishness noun

Synonyms of doll

• dolly
• puppet

Examples of doll in a Sentence

My aunt collects porcelain dolls.

there was a row of dolls along the shelf in the bedroom

Recent Examples on the Web

For much of her early life, that single question was the most precious gift Laura had ever been given—more cherished than her Barbies or her Baby Alive or her Sunshine family dolls. — Literary Hub, 2 Oct. 2026

The doll is in its original box, with the original factory shipping carton. — Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026

Mattel also said its Barbie business benefited from the film’s success, with sales for Barbie dolls rising 16% in the third quarter of 2023. — Preston Fore, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026

The prolific designer has put his touch on Barbie and Ken dolls. — Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy

First Known Use

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing doll

• Barbie doll
• bobblehead doll
• doll's house
• doll up
• Matryoshka doll
• nesting doll
• rag doll
• Russian doll

Rhymes for doll

• ahl
• all
• aul
• bawl
• brawl
• call
• caul
• crawl
• dol
• drawl
• fall
• gall

Kids Definition

doll

noun

ˈdäl 

ˈdȯl

1

: a small figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything

2

a

: a pretty young woman

b

: an attractive person