Word
dabble
Phoneticsdab·ble, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈdæbəɫ/
UK/dˈæbəl/
Definition
v. to try an activity or hobby in a casual way without being very serious about it.
v. to engage in an activity, interest, or area of study in a superficial or non-committal manner.
Examples
“He likes to dabble in painting during his summer holidays.”
“Although she works in finance, she likes to dabble in local politics by attending town hall meetings.”
“The investor chose to dabble in cryptocurrency with a small portion of his portfolio, though he remained skeptical of its long-term stability.”
Examples
simple
“He likes to dabble in painting during his summer holidays.”
contextual
“Although she works in finance, she likes to dabble in local politics by attending town hall meetings.”
complex
“The investor chose to dabble in cryptocurrency with a small portion of his portfolio, though he remained skeptical of its long-term stability.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “dabble” in context.
Verb
01. dabble in art
“She likes to dabble in art, though she has no formal training.”
verb + prep + noun
02. dabble in photography
“He began to dabble in photography during his travels across Europe.”
verb + prep + noun
03. dabble in politics
“After retiring from business, he decided to dabble in politics.”
verb + prep + noun
04. dabble in stocks
“Many people lost money when they started to dabble in stocks without research.”
verb + prep + noun
05. dabble in the occult
“The novel tells the story of a student who begins to dabble in the occult.”
06. dabble with the idea
“I've been dabbling with the idea of moving to the countryside.”
Usage
Intransitive; almost always followed by the preposition 'in'.
Pitfall
he dabbles painting
he dabbles in painting
The verb requires the preposition 'in' before the activity being discussed.
Real-World Examples
“On Broken Chair and One Song Away from Crying she dabbles in bubbling 80s synthpop, while the murkier Make Believe grows slowly overcast.” “I’m a cool fifteen hundo away from buying my first mandolin, but I’ve dabbled on one at Guitar Center enough to know it’s a hell of a better use of rent money than paying rent.” “As the CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp, Stibel has encouraged the idea of dabbling by allowing employees to create clubs that match their personal interests.” “In the past, those who dabbled were thought of as scatterbrained, [they] can’t focus,” says Erin Hopmann, co-founder and CEO of Dabble.” Etymology
The word is a development of the earlier dable, formed from dab and the frequentative suffix -le. It is possibly from the Middle Dutch dabbelen, a verb involving the kneading, fumbling, or pinching of materials, and is cognate with the Icelandic dafla.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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