Synonyms of dab

dab 1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈdab 

1

as in jab

a quick thrust

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• jab
• punch
• poke
• dig
• stab
• push
• lunge
• nudge
• stick
• shove
• jam
• jerk
• jog

2

as in sprinkling

a very small amount

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sprinkling
• splash
• glimmer
• hint
• shred
• touch
• speck
• bit
• little
• lick
• tad
• smack
• trace
• spark
• handful
• pinch
• particle
• sliver
• spatter
• ounce
• smidge
• smidgeon
• ray
• smidgin
• dash
• smell
• smidgen
• fleck
• streak
• nip
• spot
• soupçon
• crumb
• shade
• scintilla
• dram
• strain
• suspicion
• mite
• drop
• bite
• peanuts
• portion
• ace
• scruple
• dose
• skosh
• drop in the bucket
• minimum
• shadow
• snap
• driblet
• dot
• taste
• grain
• modicum
• molecule
• patch
• part
• whit
• jot
• mote
• granule
• nibble
• syllable
• iota
• section
• semblance
• vestige
• fragment
• atom
• minim
• morsel
• tittle
• scrap
• scattering
• flyspeck
• smattering
• flake
• nubbin
• splinter
• hoot
• chip
• shard
• smatter
• shaving
• shiver
• clipping
• tatter
• smithereens
• paring
• shot

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• quantity
• bucket
• loads
• pile
• wealth
• plenty
• lot
• gobs
• abundance
• deal
• mountain
• wad
• barrel
• mess
• bundle
• stack
• peck
• mass
• fistful
• heaps
• raft
• lashings
• bushel
• profusion
• boatload
• oodles
• volume
• scads
• passel
• reams
• excess
• surplus
• potful
• embarrassment
• much
• overflow
• overabundance
• lashins
• slab
• chunk
• surfeit
• superabundance
• lump
• overkill
• superfluity
• bonanza
• oversupply
• overmuch
• overage
• hunk

3

as in slap

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

dab

2 of 3

noun (2)

chiefly British

as in expert

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• expert
• master
• adept
• scholar
• virtuoso
• wizard
• guru
• artist
• authority
• ace
• specialist
• maestro
• hand
• proficient
• dab hand
• whiz
• connoisseur
• sharp
• shark
• geek
• hotshot
• past master
• consultant
• crackerjack
• crackajack
• fiend
• meister
• maven
• professional
• mavin
• cognoscente
• enthusiast
• fan
• craftsman
• buff
• pro
• addict
• hired gun
• devotee
• aficionado
• journeyman
• Renaissance man
• mistress
• afficionado
• jack-of-all-trades
• all-rounder

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• amateur
• novice
• beginner
• apprentice
• neophyte
• inexpert
• layman
• dilettante
• nonexpert
• dabbler
• nonprofessional

dab

3 of 3

verb

1

as in to smear

Synonyms & Similar Words

• smear
• daub
• slather
• plaster
• anoint
• bedaub
• besmear
• lay on
• apply
• layer
• coat
• spread
• sheet
• lay
• carpet
• surface
• overlay
• overspread
• blanket
• overlie
• cover
• mantle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• expose
• strip
• uncover
• peel
• bare

2

as in to pat

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Examples of dab in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On the right is after a few dabs of the product under my eyes — no other makeup. —Gina Vaynshteyn, StyleCaster, 16 July 2024

Just apply a dab of face serum or oil, then glide them around your complexion — aim for upward strokes from the center of your face outwards to encourage lymphatic drainage. —Claire Sullivan, WWD, 9 July 2024

After a dab of Aquaphor and a coat of Benetint to cap off her lips, Gordon is ready to set her makeup with Tatcha’s dewy face mist. —Vogue, 2 July 2024

Coming around the Top Gear test track, the car snapped around at the Follow Through, and Collins added a dab of oppo-lock to wrestle it back, but when the tires finally bit, the CCX understeered right off the tarmac—at incredibly high speed—and into a tire wall. —Sean Evans, Robb Report, 28 June 2024

Phrases Containing dab

• dab hand