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Synonyms

dribble

American  
[drib-uhl] / ˈdrɪb əl /

verb (used without object)

dribbled, dribbling

  1. to fall or flow in drops or small quantities; trickle.

  2. to drivel; slaver.

  3. Sports. to advance a ball or puck by bouncing it or giving it a series of short kicks or pushes.

verb (used with object)

dribbled, dribbling

  1. to let fall in drops.

  2. Sports.

    1. Basketball. to bounce (the ball) as in advancing or keeping control of it.

    2. (especially in ice hockey and soccer) to move (the ball or puck) along by a rapid succession of short kicks or pushes.

noun

  1. a small trickling stream or a drop.

  2. a small quantity of anything.

    a dribble of revenue.

  3. Sports. an act or instance of dribbling a ball or puck.

  4. Scot. a drizzle; a light rain.

dribble British  
/ ˈdrɪbəl /

verb

  1. (usually intr) to flow or allow to flow in a thin stream or drops; trickle

  2. (intr) to allow saliva to trickle from the mouth

  3. (in soccer, basketball, hockey, etc) to propel (the ball) by repeatedly tapping it with the hand, foot, or stick

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a small quantity of liquid falling in drops or flowing in a thin stream

  2. a small quantity or supply

  3. an act or instance of dribbling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • dribbler noun
  • dribbly adjective

Etymology

Origin of dribble

1555–65; frequentative of obsolete drib (v.), probably variant of drip

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Underwood’s ideal athlete was tall but agile, with a smooth dribble and a clean jump shot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Instead, the prices reflect deals for oil from Oman—just outside Hormuz—and a dribble of crude from Abu Dhabi that gets piped to the port of Fujairah, also beyond the strait’s narrowest stretch.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Word of the seal dribble spread as Kerlon performed it with Brazil's youth teams, but made him a target after breaking through at Cruizero - who sold seal toys in the club shop.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

The gifted Barcelona forward failed to even dribble past Hall, and was ultimately restricted to just a single effort from open play from a tight angle.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

At first, my hands shake, so all I do is dribble back and forth.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.