Meanings
plural jabs
- A quick stab or blow; a poking or thrusting motion.
He tore in for the ball, make a running jab for it and held it.
1952, Bernard Malamud, The Natural, Chapter 9 - boxingA short straight punch.
American Ward was too quick and too slick for his British rival, landing at will with razor sharp jabs and hooks and even bullying Froch at times.
2011 December 18, Ben Dirs, “Carl Froch outclassed by dazzling Andre Ward”, in BBC Sport, archived from the original on 10 Apr 2022 - UKA medical hypodermic injection (vaccination or inoculation).
Our dog was exposed to rabies, so the whole family went to a clinic to get our jabs.
- AustraliaNew ZealandPhilippinesUKsometimesA vaccination, whether or not delivered by means of a conventional injection.
A 'painless' sticking plaster flu jab that delivers vaccine into the skin has passed important safety tests in the first trial in people.
2017 June 28, Michelle Roberts, “Painless flu jab patch for people scared of injections”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 03 Aug 2021 - USfigurativelyA mild verbal insult.
present singular third person jabs · participle present jabbing · participle past jabbed · past jabbed
- To poke or thrust abruptly, or to make such a motion.
1 more example
A barely audible groan welled up in the Captain's throat as the grinning Freedom Fighter circled around behind the helpless American Soldier. The groan sputtered into a strangled, "No… no… don't.... " as Randall felt the juicy tip of the man's tumescent cock jab against his hair-ringed, virgin asshole.
1991, Etienne, “In Enemy Hands”, in Drummer, number 151, archived from the original on 06 Feb 2026, page 32Synonyms: job, stick, chef, chib, ching, chive, enthrill, foin
- To deliver a quick punch.
- UKslangTo give someone an injection.
- To make fun of, to mock.
While the book's lasting appeal is remarkable, the work is worth little scholarly attention insofar as Twain is merely jabbing at a long-dead set of social practices.
2007, Joel A. Johnson, Beyond Practical Virtue: A Defense of Liberal Democracy Through Literature, University of Missouri Press, →ISBN
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo poke or thrust abruptly, or to make such a motion.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishjobben
- Englishjob“peck, poke, thrust”
- Englishjab
Originally a Scottish (unclear if Scots or Scottish English) form of English job (“peck, poke, thrust”), from Middle English jobben.
More words from English, Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek σκῶμμᾰ
- σκῶμμᾰ (skômmă)a verbal annoyance
Arabic لَكْمَة أَمَامِيَّة
- لَكْمَة أَمَامِيَّة(boxing) a short straight punch
Bulgarian рязък удар, прав удар
- рязък удар (rjazăk udar)quick stab
- прав удар (prav udar)(boxing) a short straight punch
- инжекция (inžekcija)medical injection
- мушкам (muškam)to poke or thrust abruptly
- ръгам (răgam)to poke or thrust abruptly
- пробождам (proboždam)to poke or thrust abruptly
Dutch prik, stoot
- prikquick stab
- stoot(boxing) a short straight punch
- stomp(boxing) a short straight punch
- por(boxing) a short straight punch
- prikmedical injection
- stekento poke or thrust abruptly
- porrento deliver a quick punch
- prikken(slang) to give someone an injection
Estonian piste, torge
- pistequick stab
- torgequick stab
- torkimato poke or thrust abruptly
Finnish pisto, sohaisu
- pistoquick stab
- sohaisuquick stab
- tökkäysquick stab
- ruiskemedical injection
- pistosmedical injection
- piikkimedical injection
- piikkia verbal annoyance
- pistoa verbal annoyance
- sivallusa verbal annoyance
- tökätäto poke or thrust abruptly
- tökkäistäto poke or thrust abruptly
- survaistato poke or thrust abruptly
- pistääto deliver a quick punch
- sohaistato deliver a quick punch
- piikittää(slang) to give someone an injection
French jab, piqûre
- jab(boxing) a short straight punch
- piqûremedical injection
- injectionmedical injection
- piquea verbal annoyance
- jaberto deliver a quick punch
German Gerade, Injektion
- Gerade(boxing) a short straight punch
- Injektionmedical injection
- subkutane Impfungmedical injection
- Piksmedical injection
- Sticheleia verbal annoyance
- zustoßento poke or thrust abruptly
- eine Gerade schlagento deliver a quick punch
- piksen(slang) to give someone an injection
Hungarian döfés, szúrás
- döfésquick stab
- szúrás(boxing) a short straight punch
- oltásmedical injection
- injekciómedical injection
- csipkelődésa verbal annoyance
- kötekedésa verbal annoyance
Irish sáiteán, sonc
- sáiteánquick stab
- soncquick stab
- smitín(boxing) a short straight punch
- dorn(boxing) a short straight punch
- buille(boxing) a short straight punch
- instealladhmedical injection
- priocto poke or thrust abruptly
- tabhair sonc doto poke or thrust abruptly
- tabhair priocadh doto poke or thrust abruptly
- sáighto poke or thrust abruptly
- dírighto poke or thrust abruptly
- tabhair smitínto deliver a quick punch
- insteall(slang) to give someone an injection
- tabhair instealladh do(slang) to give someone an injection
Italian dritto, puntura
- dritto(boxing) a short straight punch
- punturamedical injection
- iniezionemedical injection
Latin scōmma
- scōmmaa verbal annoyance
Norwegian stikk, stikk
- stikkquick stab
- stikkmedical injection
Polish cios prosty, zaczepka
- cios prosty(boxing) a short straight punch
- zaczepkaa verbal annoyance
- bóśćto poke or thrust abruptly
- bodnąćto poke or thrust abruptly
- uderzaćto deliver a quick punch
- uderzaćto deliver a quick punch
- wstrzykiwać(slang) to give someone an injection
- wstrzyknąć(slang) to give someone an injection
Portuguese direto, cruzado
- direto(boxing) a short straight punch
- cruzado(boxing) a short straight punch
- jab (MMA)(boxing) a short straight punch
- injeçãomedical injection
Russian уда́р, толчо́к
- уда́р (udár)quick stab
- толчо́к (tolčók)quick stab
- пино́к (pinók)quick stab
- джеб (džeb)quick stab
- джеб (džeb)(boxing) a short straight punch
- уко́л (ukól)medical injection
- ко́лкость (kólkostʹ)a verbal annoyance
- шпи́лька (špílʹka)a verbal annoyance
- пырну́ть (pyrnútʹ)to poke or thrust abruptly
- пихну́ть (pixnútʹ)to poke or thrust abruptly
- ткнуть (tknutʹ)to poke or thrust abruptly
- уда́рить (udáritʹ)to deliver a quick punch
- ширя́ть (širjátʹ)(slang) to give someone an injection
- ширну́ть (širnútʹ)(slang) to give someone an injection
Spanish golpe abrupto, directo
- golpe abruptoquick stab
- directo(boxing) a short straight punch
- recto (MMA)(boxing) a short straight punch
- jab(boxing) a short straight punch
- pinchazomedical injection
- pullaa verbal annoyance
- fisgaa verbal annoyance
- burlaa verbal annoyance
- chanzaa verbal annoyance
- mofaa verbal annoyance
- golpearto poke or thrust abruptly
- puyarto poke or thrust abruptly
Swahili sindano
- sindanomedical injection
Swedish jabb, spruta
- jabb(boxing) a short straight punch
- sprutamedical injection
- stickmedical injection
- jabbato deliver a quick punch
- sticka(slang) to give someone an injection
Thai หมัดหน้า, หมัดแย็บ
- หมัดหน้า(boxing) a short straight punch
- หมัดแย็บ(boxing) a short straight punch
Turkish saplamak, sançmak
- saplamakto poke or thrust abruptly
- sançmakto poke or thrust abruptly
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with jab
All rhymes →Cite this entry
jab. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jab
“jab.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jab. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jab,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jab.
Source: jab on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.