jab
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a medical injection to protect you against a disease.
n.a hypodermic injection, typically for the purpose of vaccination or inoculation.
Simple“I need to go to the clinic to get my flu jab before winter starts.”
In context“Public health officials encouraged citizens to book their booster jab to ensure community immunity levels remained high during the peak season.”
UsageCommonly used in the UK and Commonwealth; American English speakers almost exclusively use 'shot'.
Synonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a quick, straight punch in boxing.
n.a short, straight punch delivered with the leading hand.
Simple“The boxer used a quick jab to keep his opponent at a distance.”
In context“The trainer emphasized the importance of a stiff jab to set up more powerful combinations later in the round.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sharp, sudden poke with a finger or a pointed object.
n.a quick, sharp thrust or poke with a finger, elbow, or pointed instrument.
Simple“He gave me a sharp jab in the ribs to get my attention.”
In context“She felt a sudden jab of pain in her shoulder as she tried to lift the heavy crate onto the shelf.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.a quick, clever remark intended to criticize or mock someone.
n.a sharp, often witty verbal criticism or insult directed at a person.
Simple“His speech included a few playful jabs at his rival's recent failures.”
In context“The political columnist is known for taking subtle jabs at the administration's economic policies in every Sunday edition.”
Antonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to push something sharp or pointed into something else quickly.
v.to poke or thrust abruptly or sharply with a finger or object.
Simple“She jabbed her finger at the map to show us exactly where we were.”
In context“The chef jabbed the meat with a fork to check if it was tender enough to serve.”
Originally a Scottish (unclear if Scots or Scottish English) form of English job (“peck, poke, thrust”), from Middle English jobben.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.