# dub

/ˈdəb/ (US) · /dˈʌb/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dub
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to give a nickname

verb · CEFR B2

to give someone or something a particular name or nickname.

For teachers: to confer a name, title, or nickname upon a person or thing. Transitive; often used in the passive voice.

- The media dubbed him the 'King of Pop' because of his huge success.
- The press quickly dubbed the new skyscraper 'The Shard' due to its distinctive glass exterior and sharp, angular peak.

### 2. to change film audio

verb · CEFR B2

to replace the original speech in a film with a translation in another language.

For teachers: to provide a film or television programme with a new soundtrack, typically a synchronized translation of the original dialogue.

- I prefer watching foreign movies with subtitles rather than dubbed versions.
- The studio decided to dub the animated feature into twelve different languages to maximize its international box-office potential.

### 3. to knight someone

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal

to make someone a knight by touching their shoulders with a sword.

For teachers: to confer knighthood upon a person by the ceremonial tapping of the shoulder with a sword.

- The Queen dubbed the explorer a knight for his services to science.
- In a traditional ceremony, the monarch dubbed the veteran diplomat a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

### 5. a win

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang · Informal

a slang word for a victory or a win.

For teachers: a slang term for a victory, derived from the phonetic pronunciation of the letter 'W'.

- Our team played great today and we finally got the dub.
- After a grueling overtime period, the squad managed to secure the dub and advance to the regional finals.

## Examples

- The press decided to dub him the king of pop.
- The documentary was originally filmed in French, but the studio decided to dub it into English for the international market.
- Though the scientist never sought fame, his colleagues began to dub him the father of modern genetics after his groundbreaking paper was published in a major journal.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.