tooltip

tool·tip
T1O1O1L1T1I1P3
/ˈtu(ː)l.tɪp/

noun

An element of a graphical user interface in the form of a box of text that appears when a cursor is made to hover over an item; normally used to explain the function of the item.

Similar
infotiphover text
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

nountooltip (plural tooltips)

plural tooltips

  1. computingAn element of a graphical user interface in the form of a box of text that appears when a cursor is made to hover over an item; normally used to explain the function of the item.

    Synonyms: infotip, hover text

verbtooltip (third-person singular simple present tooltips, present participle tooltipping, simple past and past participle tooltipped)

present singular third person tooltips · participle present tooltipping · participle past tooltipped · past tooltipped

  1. raretransitivecomputingTo add a tooltip to a user interface element.
  2. raretransitivecomputingTo cause a tooltip to appear by hovering over a UI element.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAn element of a graphical user interface in the form of a box of text that appears when a cursor is made to hover over an item; normally used to explain the function of the item.

Similar
infotiphover text
Also see
infotip

Origin

From tool + tip, originally used with toolbars to provide a tip or hint as to what function each graphical icon represented. The term was introduced as ToolTip by Microsoft in the 1990s.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans hulpwenk
  • hulpwenkan element of a graphical user interface
Arabic تَلْمِيح
  • تَلْمِيح (talmīḥ)an element of a graphical user interface
Chinese Mandarin 工具提示
  • 工具提示 (gōngjù tíshì)an element of a graphical user interface
Esperanto ŝpruchelpilo
  • ŝpruchelpiloan element of a graphical user interface
Finnish työkaluvihje
  • työkaluvihjean element of a graphical user interface
French infobulle
  • infobullean element of a graphical user interface
German Tooltip
  • Tooltipan element of a graphical user interface
Hungarian szövegbuborék, buboréksúgó
  • szövegbuborékan element of a graphical user interface
  • buboréksúgóan element of a graphical user interface
  • buboréktippan element of a graphical user interface
  • eszköztippan element of a graphical user interface
  • felbukkanó ablakan element of a graphical user interface
  • helyi súgóan element of a graphical user interface
  • súgóbuborékan element of a graphical user interface
  • súgószövegan element of a graphical user interface
  • magyarázódobozan element of a graphical user interface
  • eszközleírásan element of a graphical user interface
  • elemleírásan element of a graphical user interface
  • segédszövegan element of a graphical user interface
Japanese ツールチップ
  • ツールチップ (tsūruchippu)an element of a graphical user interface
Korean 툴팁
  • 툴팁 (tultip)an element of a graphical user interface
Māori akiutauta
  • akiutautaan element of a graphical user interface
Polish tooltip
  • tooltipan element of a graphical user interface
Portuguese dica de contexto
  • dica de contextoan element of a graphical user interface
Russian подска́зка
  • подска́зка (podskázka)an element of a graphical user interface
Spanish tooltip
  • tooltipan element of a graphical user interface
Swedish inforuta
  • inforutaan element of a graphical user interface
Turkish araç bilgisi, araç ipucu
  • araç bilgisian element of a graphical user interface
  • araç ipucuan element of a graphical user interface
Vietnamese mẹo công cụ, hộp gợi ý
  • mẹo công cụan element of a graphical user interface
  • hộp gợi ýan element of a graphical user interface
Cite this entry
APA

tooltip. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tooltip

MLA

“tooltip.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tooltip. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tooltip,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tooltip.

Source: tooltip on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.