stab
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To pierce or to wound with a tool or weapon.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
stabIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈstæb
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
transitive
To pierce or to wound (somebody) with a (usually pointed) tool or weapon, especially a knife or dagger.
Use a knife on
intransitive
To recklessly hit with the tip of a (usually pointed) object, such as a weapon or finger (often used with at).
transitive
To pierce folded sheets, near their back edges, for the passage of thread or wire.
intransitive
To cause a sharp, painful sensation (often used with at).
transitivefigurative
To injure secretly or by malicious falsehood or slander.
noun
An act of stabbing or thrusting with an object.
Pain inflicted on a person's feelings.
A bacterial culture made by inoculating a solid medium, such as gelatin, with the puncture of a needle or wire.
informal
Informal words for any attempt or effort
Criticism.
A wound made by stabbing.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate (estimated)
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: To pierce or to wound (somebody) with a (usually pointed) tool or weapon, especially a knife or dagger.
Used this way, stab is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use stab
- “One strong stab to the heart killed him.”noun
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.