doll

noun

ˈdäl 

ˈdȯl

1

: a small-scale figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything

2

a(1)

: a pretty but often empty-headed young woman

(2)

: woman

b

: darling, sweetheart

c

: an attractive person

dollish

ˈdä-lish 

ˈdȯ-

adjective

dollishly adverb

dollishness noun

Synonyms

• action figure
• dolly
• poppet [Midland]
• puppet

Examples of doll in a Sentence

My aunt collects porcelain dolls.

there was a row of dolls along the shelf in the bedroom

Recent Examples on the Web

Vigil and other women will receive dolls created by students in Manuel Jara Elementary School David Orona’s art class to represent the women’s strengths on April 5 at the Northside Community Center. —Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2025

Did a kid eat a battery somewhere and now I'm forced to use a power drill to disassemble a $10 talking Frozen doll? —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025

Watch See on Apple TV+ Servant M. Night Shyamalan created the popular Apple TV+ horror series Servant, about a young couple who adopt a lifelike therapy doll to cope with the tragic loss of their infant son. —Keith Langston, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025

Well, that's what some people are doing for this monster doll from China called Labubu. —Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy

First Known Use

circa 1700, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing doll

• Barbie doll
• bobblehead doll
• doll's house
• doll up
• rag doll

Rhymes for doll

• ahl
• all
• aul
• bawl
• brawl
• call
• caul
• crawl
• dol
• drawl
• fall
• gall

Kids Definition

doll

noun

ˈdäl 

ˈdȯl

1

: a small figure of a human being used especially as a child's plaything

2

a

: a pretty young woman

b

: an attractive person