Dab — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb abbreviation /ˈdab/

Meaning & Definition of Dab

Dab (noun)

  1. a gentle touch or stroke, pat
  2. something that is dabbed on, daub, smear
  3. a small amount
  4. flatfish; especially, any of several flounders (genus Limanda, especially L. limanda)
  5. a skillful person

Dab (verb)

  1. to strike or touch lightly, pat
  2. to apply lightly or irregularly, daub
  3. to inhale the vapors of (a heated concentrate of cannabis)

Dab (abbreviation)

  1. Dictionary of American Biography

Dab (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a quick thrust

    "one more quick dab of the brush and he would be finished with his painting"

    similar: dig, jab, lunge, poke
    related: punch, stab, stick, push, shove, jam, jerk, jog, nudge

  2. a very small amount

    "she added a dab of sesame oil to the dressing before pouring it on the salad"

    similar: ace, bit, crumb, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad, touch, trace, drop in the bucket
    related: hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch, scrap, dash, drop, pinch, part, portion, section, bite, nibble, taste, handful, scattering, smatter, smattering, dose, shot, chip, flake, fragment, shard, shiver, sliver, smithereens, splinter, tatter, clipping, paring, shaving
    near: abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings (chiefly British), loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad, wealth, volume, bonanza, embarrassment, excess, overabundance, overage, overflow, overkill, overmuch, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, surfeit, surplus, chunk, hunk, lump, slab

  3. a hard strike with a part of the body or an instrument

    "a bear can knock a man down with a simple dab of his paw"

    similar: bang, bash, bat, beat, belt, biff, blow, bop, box, buffet, bust, chop, clap, clip, clout, crack, cuff, douse (British), fillip, hack, haymaker, hit, hook, knock, larrup (dialect), lash, lick, pelt, pick, plump, poke, pound, punch, rap, slam, slap, slug, smack, smash, sock, spank, stinger, stripe, stroke, swat, swipe, switch, thud, thump, thwack, wallop, welt, whack, wham, whop
    related: counter, counterblow, counterpunch, counterstroke, body blow, hand, kick, knee, left, one-two, rabbit punch, right, right-hander, roundhouse, shiver, sidewinder, sucker punch, swing, uppercut, cruncher, kayo, knockdown, knockout, KO, bastinado, battering, beating, bludgeoning, clobbering, cudgeling, drubbing, hammering, lambasting, licking, pasting, pounding, pummeling, thrashing, flogging, walloping, whip, whipping

  4. a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

    "a dab at finding unappreciated collectibles and reselling them at a considerable profit"

    similar: ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab hand (chiefly British), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven, meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
    related: pro, professional, consultant, hired gun, specialist, addict, aficionado, buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, craftsman, journeyman, all-rounder (British), jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man, mistress
    opposite: amateur, inexpert, nonexpert
    near: apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice, dabbler, dilettante, layman, nonprofessional

Dab (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in smear, slather

    similar: anoint, bedaub, besmear, daub, plaster, slather, smear, apply, lay, lay on, spread, blanket, carpet, coat, cover, layer, mantle, overlay, overlie, overspread, sheet, surface
    opposite: bare, expose, peel, strip, uncover

  2. as in tap, tip

    similar: chuck, clap, flick, pat, tag, tap, tip, clasp, clench, cling (to), clutch, grasp, grip, handle, hold, palm, hit, knock, pound, rap, whack, brush, graze, shave, skim, feel, touch, palp, palpate

Related Entry: Dab hand (noun)

Dab hand is a different word from Dab. The synonyms below are for dab hand, not for dab.

  1. a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

    "a British mystery writer who's an undisputed dab hand at building suspense"

    similar: ace, adept, artist, authority, cognoscente, connoisseur, crackerjack, dab (chiefly British), expert, fiend, geek, guru, hand, hotshot, maestro, master, maven, meister, past master, proficient, scholar, shark, sharp, virtuoso, whiz, wizard
    related: pro, professional, consultant, hired gun, specialist, addict, aficionado, buff, devotee, enthusiast, fan, craftsman, journeyman, all-rounder (British), jack-of-all-trades, Renaissance man, mistress
    opposite: amateur, inexpert, nonexpert
    near: apprentice, beginner, neophyte, novice, dabbler, dilettante, layman, nonprofessional

Related Entry: Dab hands (noun)

Dab hands is a different word from Dab. The synonyms below are for dab hands, not for dab.

  1. a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field

    "a British mystery writer who's an undisputed dab hand at building suspense"

    similar: aces, adepts, artists, authorities, cognoscenti, connoisseurs, crackerjacks, dabs (chiefly British), experts, fiends, geeks, gurus, hands, hotshots, maestros, masters, mavens, meisters, past masters, proficients, scholars, sharks, sharps, virtuosos, whizzes, wizards
    related: professionals, pros, consultants, hired guns, specialists, addicts, aficionados, buffs, devotees, enthusiasts, fans, craftsmen, journeymen, all-rounders (British), jacks-of-all-trades, Renaissance men, mistresses
    opposite: amateurs, inexperts, nonexperts
    near: apprentices, beginners, neophytes, novices, dabblers, dilettantes, laymen, nonprofessionals

Related Entry: Smack-dab (adverb)

Smack-dab is a different word from Dab. The synonyms below are for smack-dab, not for dab.

  1. as stated or indicated without the slightest difference

    "made reservations at a restaurant that's smack-dab in the center of town"

    similar: due, exactly, full, just, precisely, right, sharp, squarely, on the button, on the nose

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Dab

The most common words with a similar meaning to Dab:

British: douse
Dialect: larrup
Chiefly British: dab hand
dig, jab, lunge, poke, ace, bit, crumb, dram, driblet, glimmer, hint, lick, little, mite, nip, ounce, particle, peanuts, ray, scintilla, scruple, shade, shadow, shred, skosh, smack, smell, smidgen, snap, soupçon, spark, spatter, speck, splash, spot, sprinkling, strain, streak, suspicion, tad

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Dab

Words with the opposite meaning of Dab:

amateur, inexpert, nonexpert, bare, expose, peel, strip, uncover

Related Words for Dab

stab, stick, push, shove, jam, jerk, jog, nudge, hoot, iota, jot, minim, minimum, modicum, semblance, syllable, tittle, vestige, whit, atom, dot, fleck, flyspeck, grain, granule, molecule, morsel, mote, nubbin, patch

Near Antonyms of Dab

abundance, barrel, boatload, bucket, bundle, bushel, deal, fistful, gobs, heaps, lashings, loads, lot, mass, mess, mountain, much, oodles, passel, peck, pile, plenty, potful, profusion, quantity, raft, reams, scads, stack, wad

Word Forms of Dab

Inflections: dabs, dabbed, dabbing

Derived words: dabber (noun), dabbing (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Dab

Middle English dabbe

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Dab

dab hand, sand dab, smack-dab

Frequently Asked Questions about Dab

What does "Dab" mean?

"Dab" means a gentle touch or stroke, pat. As an a noun, a verb and an abbreviation, it is defined as: a gentle touch or stroke, pat. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Dab"?

Other words for "Dab" include dig, jab, lunge, poke, ace, bit, crumb and dram. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Dab" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Dab"?

There are 279 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Dab". Common alternatives include dig, jab, lunge, poke, ace, bit, crumb, dram, driblet and glimmer.

What is the opposite of "Dab"?

Antonyms of "Dab" include amateur, inexpert, nonexpert, bare, expose, peel, strip and uncover. Near antonyms include abundance, barrel, boatload and bucket.

How do you use "Dab" in a sentence?

Examples of "Dab" in a sentence: "one more quick dab of the brush and he would be finished with his painting"; "she added a dab of sesame oil to the dressing before pouring it on the salad"; "a bear can knock a man down with a simple dab of his paw".

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

"Dab" can be used as a noun, a verb and an abbreviation, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Dab"?

"Dab" is pronounced /ˈdab/.

What is the origin of the word "Dab"?

"Dab" comes from Middle English dabbe. First known use: 14th century.