jabbed; jabbing; jabs
1
a
: to pierce or prod (someone or something) with or as if with a pointed object
She jabbed the steak with her fork.
The nurse jabbed me with the needle.
He jabbed me in the ribs with his elbow.
b
: to push or drive (something, such as a pointed object) quickly, abruptly, or forcefully : thrust
The nurse jabbed the needle into my arm.
She jabbed her elbow into my ribs.
He shouted at Alvarez … , jabbing a finger into the catcher's chest protector.—
Wina Sturgeon
Wina Sturgeon"And look at those girls over there," the woman said, jabbing a finger at my sister's children …—Hope Reeves
Hope ReevesThe robbers then jabbed a gun into Goldberg's back, he told police, and demanded that he hand over his keys.—The Miami Herald
The Miami Herald2
: to strike (someone or something) with a short straight blow
specifically, sports
: to strike (an opponent) with a short straight punch that is delivered with the leading hand
He tried to jab him in the first round, and Ali's head wasn't there. —Gilbert Rogin
Gilbert Rogin 3
: to pointedly tease or mock (someone)
We joke around. … I was jabbing him about injuries he's had.—Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated1
a
: to prod quickly or abruptly and often repeatedly with or as if with a pointed object
—usually used with at
He jabbed at his soufflé with a spoon.—P. G. Wodehouse
P. G. Wodehouse… repeatedly jabbed at the puck with his stick.—Dave Joseph
Dave JosephWe all know him or her—the person who stands at the elevator door and jabs at the button three, four, even five times when the car fails to arrive quickly enough.—Earl Ubell
Earl Ubell"You want to talk about this now?" he snarled, … jabbing at me with his finger.—Jack Gantos
Jack Gantos
b
: to be thrust or driven quickly, abruptly, or forcefully
—usually used with into
The needle jabbed into my arm.
… reduces any chance of … keys or coins jabbing into your back when riding.—George Hill
George Hill2
: to strike a person with a short straight blow
specifically, sports
: to throw a short straight punch that is delivered with the leading hand
The fight was barely a contest after the first round, when Spinks stopped moving and jabbing and began fighting with his back to the ropes. —William Nack
William Nack Bradford jabbed well and made sure that Ali was kept at bay … . —Bill Crane
Bill Crane 3
: to pointedly tease, mock, or make fun of someone
At a moment's notice, he can produce a months-old editorial cartoon jabbing at him and seems genuinely hurt by the message.—The New York Times
The New York Times
plural jabs
1
: a quick, abrupt, or forceful thrust or stab especially with something pointed : an act of jabbing
gave it a couple of jabs with a stick
specifically
: a short straight boxing punch delivered with the leading hand
a quick left jab
… Holmes fired a jab and crossed with a … right that caught Frazier flush in the face. —Pat Putnam
Pat Putnam Buddy had done a good job of teaching me how to bob and weave and throw a jab. —Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn 2
: a pointed and often mocking comment or criticism
He has a lot of fun with Ranovic, the oh-so-dramatic, eager young undercover cop who consistently fails to understand Salter's ironic jabs.—Jean MacFarlane Wright
Jean MacFarlane WrightUndeterred, McCain continues with his standard stump speech, leaving in all the anti-Bush jabs.—Michelle Cottle
Michelle Cottle3
chiefly British, informal
: an injection of something (such as medicine) into one's body with a needle
made an appointment for her second jab
We're averaging 3 million jabs in arms a day.—Ali Velshi
Ali VelshiSynonyms
Examples of jab in a Sentence
Verb
He jabbed at the other player with his hockey stick.
The needle jabbed his arm.
The needle jabbed into his arm.
Noun
She gave him a jab in the ribs.
He threw a right jab to his opponent's body.
Recent Examples on the Web
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Chatty charmer Richard jabs her with a needle full of a paralyzing agent and then carts her around to various locales and in various vehicles.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Highlights included jokes about Trump, who hosted SNL in 2015, wearing an orange and yellow safety jacket as a jab at a garbage controversy and a comedic bit involving a broken microphone.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jab 
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Verb
Neeson, by contrast, is the quiet professional, with a right hook that can still jab like a crowbar.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 1 Nov. 2024
Chatty charmer Richard jabs her with a needle full of a paralyzing agent and then carts her around to various locales and in various vehicles.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
The six-time All-Star responded to the Toronto superstar’s jabs in a postgame press conference.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2024
Highlights included jokes about Trump, who hosted SNL in 2015, wearing an orange and yellow safety jacket as a jab at a garbage controversy and a comedic bit involving a broken microphone.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for jab
Dictionary Entries Near jab
Cite this Entry
“Jab.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jab. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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