dabble

American  

[dab-uhl] / ˈdæb əl /

verb (used without object)

dabbled, dabbling

1. to play and splash in or as if in water, especially with the hands.

2. to work at anything in an irregular or superficial manner.

   to dabble in literature.

   Synonyms:

   dally, toy, fiddle, putter

3. (of a duck) to feed on shallow-water vegetation with rapid, splashing movements of the bill.

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verb (used with object)

dabbled, dabbling

1. to wet slightly in or with a liquid; splash; spatter.

2. Chiefly South Midland U.S. to wash or rinse off lightly.

dabble British  

/ ˈdæbəl /

verb

1. to dip, move, or splash (the fingers, feet, etc) in a liquid

2. (intr; usually foll by in, with, or at) to deal (with) or work (at) frivolously or superficially; play (at)

3. (tr) to daub, mottle, splash, or smear

   his face was dabbled with paint

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Other Word Forms

• dabbler noun
• dabblingly adverb
• undabbled adjective

Etymology

Origin of dabble

1550–60; probably dab ¹ + -le; compare Dutch dabbelen, dabben

Explanation

You dabble when you are a little bit involved in an activity, such as an art form or a hobby. Maybe you only dabble in mystery novels, but you are very knowledgeable about comic books. The word dabble can also often relate to water. It can mean “to splash playfully,” or “to get just a little wet.” A bird can also dabble in water by dipping its bill into it. Each of these meanings of dabble is often followed by the word in. For example, a duck may dabble in the water (and then dribble a few drops afterward from its bill), and you may dabble in shrubbery art.

Example Sentences

Even the league’s most respected organizations appear to dabble in selective losing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

But many people also dabble in corporate bonds and real-estate investment trusts, commodities like gold and silver and, more recently, cryptocurrencies.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 30, 2026

Rhys: There’s a couple of ways — a light dabble of narcissists, sociopaths, “The Psychopath Test” by Jon Ronson.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2025

It's hard to estimate just how many Australians now dabble in this kind of ideology, but experts say it could be up to tens of thousands.

From BBC • Aug. 29, 2025

She did not dabble with minnows at the surface when there were thirty-pound salmon swimming deeper down.

From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein