lob

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈläb 

dialectal British

: a dull heavy person : lout

lob

2 of 4

verb

lobbed; lobbing

transitive verb

1

: to let hang heavily : droop

2

: to throw, hit, or propel easily or in a high arc

3

: to direct (something, such as a question or comment) so as to elicit a response

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move slowly and heavily

b

: to move in an arc

2

: to hit a tennis ball easily in a high arc

lob

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a soft high-arching shot, throw, or kick

lob-

4 of 4

combining form

variants or lobo-

: lobe

lobar

lobotomy

Synonyms

Verb

• cast
• catapult
• chuck
• dash
• fire
• fling
• heave
• hurl
• hurtle
• launch
• loft
• peg
• pelt
• pitch
• sling
• throw
• toss

Examples of lob in a Sentence

Verb

She lobbed a throw to the pitcher.

The soldier lobbed a grenade into the bunker.

He lobbed the ball over his opponent's head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The rookie caught a 5-yard touchdown lob to make the score 45-28 with 11:51 to go. —Colton Pouncy, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024

James even had a massive highlight play during the first half, throwing down a lob from teammate Sir'Jabari Rice. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Verb

Met with suspicion by the drone’s pilot, the captain kills the man during a loud, nighttime storm, and lobs him overboard — and then lies about his activities when others step out onto the deck. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Dec. 2024

The settlement comes amid a barrage of major lawsuits being lobbed at media companies by Trump. —Dave Lawler, Axios, 23 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably of Low German origin; akin to Low German lubbe coarse person

Verb

lob a loosely hanging object

Combining form

lobe

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1508, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lob

1 of 2 verb

ˈläb 

lobbed; lobbing

: to send (as a ball) in a high arc by hitting or throwing easily

lob

2 of 2 noun

: a lobbed throw or shot (as in tennis)