Bowl — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈbōl/

Meaning & Definition of Bowl

Bowl (noun)

  1. a concave usually nearly hemispherical vessel, a rounded container that is usually larger than a cup; specifically, a drinking vessel (as for wine)
  2. the contents of a bowl
  3. a bowl-shaped or concave part
  4. a ball that is used in lawn bowling and that is shaped with a bias so that it swerves when rolled
  5. lawn bowling
  6. a delivery of the ball in the game of bowling

Bowl (verb)

  1. to participate in a game of bowling
  2. to roll a ball in bowling
  3. to travel smoothly and rapidly (as in a wheeled vehicle)

Bowl (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a large usually roofless building for sporting events with tiers of seats for spectators

    "a new bowl for the football team"

    similar: circus, coliseum, colosseum, stadium
    related: ballpark, park, gym, gymnasium, spa, arena, dome, hippodrome

Bowl (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move or proceed smoothly and readily

    "bowling along in my spiffy new car"

    similar: breeze, brush, coast, cruise, drift, flow, glide, roll, sail, skim, slide, slip, stream, sweep, whisk
    related: fly, race, rush, speed
    opposite: flounder, struggle
    near: limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge, shamble, shuffle, stamp, stomp, stump, tramp, labor, toil

  2. to proceed or move quickly

    "bowled through the test and was the first one to hand in the booklet"

    similar: barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bomb (slang), breeze, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie, highball, hotfoot (it), hump, hurl, hurry, hurtle, hustle, jet, jump, motor, nip, pelt, race, ram, rip, rocket, run, rush, rustle, scoot, scurry, scuttle, shoot, speed, step, tear, travel, trot, whirl, whisk, zip, zoom, beat it, get a move on, make tracks, shake a leg, step on it
    related: beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow, beeline
    opposite: crawl, creep, poke
    near: dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, poke, tarry, amble, lumber, plod, saunter, shuffle, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Related Entry: Bowl (down or over) (verb)

Bowl (down or over) is a different word from Bowl. The synonyms below are for bowl (down or over), not for bowl.

  1. to strike (someone) so forcefully as to cause a fall

    "the exuberant dog bowled over several children"

    similar: down, drop, fell, floor, knock down, knock over, level, mow (down), prostrate
    related: kayo, knock out, KO, overthrow, throw down, topple, bang, bash, belt, bludgeon, clobber, hammer, hit, jab, paste, poke, pound, punch, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, swat, swipe, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale

Related Entry: Bowl over (verb)

Bowl over is a different word from Bowl. The synonyms below are for bowl over, not for bowl.

  1. to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected

    "she was bowled over to learn that she had a long-lost sister"

    similar: amaze, astonish, astound, dumbfound, flabbergast, floor, rock, shock, startle, stun, stupefy, surprise, thunderstrike, knock for a loop, take aback, take by surprise
    related: befuddle, bewilder, blindside, blow away, confound, confuse, daze, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, jar, muddle, nonplus, perplex, shake up

Related Entry: Dust bowl (noun)

Dust bowl is a different word from Bowl. The synonyms below are for dust bowl, not for bowl.

  1. as in nature, desert

    similar: barren, desert, desolation, heath, no-man's-land, waste, wasteland, nature, wild, wilderness, open, open air, outdoors, out-of-doors, brush, bush, badland

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Bowl

The most common words with a similar meaning to Bowl:

Slang: bomb
circus, coliseum, colosseum, stadium, breeze, brush, coast, cruise, drift, flow, glide, roll, sail, skim, slide, slip, stream, sweep, whisk, barrel, belt, blast, blaze, blow, bolt, bundle, bustle, buzz, cannonball, careen, career, chase, course, crack (on), dash, drive, fly, hare, hasten, hie

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Bowl

Words with the opposite meaning of Bowl:

flounder, struggle, crawl, creep, poke

Related Words for Bowl

ballpark, park, gym, gymnasium, spa, arena, dome, hippodrome, beetle, dart, flit, scamper, scud, scuffle, stampede, streak, whiz, gallop, jog, sprint, accelerate, quicken, step out, catch up, fast-forward, outpace, outrun, outstrip, overtake, arrow

Near Antonyms of Bowl

limp, lumber, plod, stumble, trudge, shamble, shuffle, stamp, stomp, stump, tramp, labor, toil, dally, dawdle, dillydally, drag, hang (around or out), lag, linger, loiter, tarry, amble, saunter, stroll, decelerate, slow (down or up)

Word Forms of Bowl

Inflections: bowls, bowled, bowling

Derived words: bowled (adjective), bowlful (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Bowl

Middle English bolle, from Old English bolla; akin to Old High German bolla blister

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Bowl

Words & Phrases Containing Bowl

bowl over, dust bowl, finger bowl, goldfish bowl, grain bowl, punch bowl, slop bowl

Frequently Asked Questions about Bowl

What does "Bowl" mean?

"Bowl" means a concave usually nearly hemispherical vessel, a rounded container that is usually larger than a cup; specifically, a drinking vessel (as for wine). As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a concave usually nearly hemispherical vessel, a rounded container that is usually larger than a cup; specifically, a drinking vessel (as for wine). It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Bowl"?

Other words for "Bowl" include circus, coliseum, colosseum, stadium, breeze, brush, coast and cruise. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Bowl" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Bowl"?

There are 108 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Bowl". Common alternatives include circus, coliseum, colosseum, stadium, breeze, brush, coast, cruise, drift and flow.

What is the opposite of "Bowl"?

Antonyms of "Bowl" include flounder, struggle, crawl, creep and poke. Near antonyms include limp, lumber, plod and stumble.

How do you use "Bowl" in a sentence?

Examples of "Bowl" in a sentence: "a new bowl for the football team"; "bowling along in my spiffy new car"; "bowled through the test and was the first one to hand in the booklet".

Is "Bowl" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Bowl" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Bowl" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Bowl" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Bowl"?

"Bowl" is pronounced /ˈbōl/.