dole out

verb

doled out; doling out; doles out

transitive verb

1

: to give or deliver in small portions

2

: dish out

Synonyms

• administer
• allocate
• apportion
• deal (out)
• dispense
• distribute
• hand out
• mete (out)
• parcel (out)
• portion
• prorate

Choose the Right Synonym for dole out

distribute, dispense, divide, deal, dole out mean to give out, usually in shares, to each member of a group.

distribute implies an apportioning by separation of something into parts, units, or amounts.

distributed food to the needy

dispense suggests the giving of a carefully weighed or measured portion to each of a group according to due or need.

dispensed wisdom to the students

divide stresses the separation of a whole into parts and implies that the parts are equal.

three charitable groups divided the proceeds

deal emphasizes the allotment of something piece by piece.

deal out equipment and supplies

dole out implies a carefully measured portion of something that is often in short supply.

doled out what little food there was

Examples of dole out in a Sentence

she doles out office supplies as if she were paying for them out of her own pocket

Recent Examples on the Web

As a result, businesses are doling out more tasks to current workers. —Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 20 Oct. 2024

The latest: More than $344 million in federal support has been doled out for Helene recovery across the region as of Wednesday. —Kristal Dixon, Axios, 15 Oct. 2024

Back in late 2014, Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee doled out $4.4 million for a modern home perched in the coveted Birds Streets area of Los Angeles. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2024

The first episode starts out with a spoof about how Walsh descends from a long line of eminent justices, all obsessed with doling out the death penalty. —Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1749, in the meaning defined at sense 1