lob

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈläb 

dialectal British

: a dull heavy person : lout

lob

2 of 4

verb

lobbed; lobbing

transitive verb

1

: to let hang heavily : droop

2

: to throw, hit, or propel easily or in a high arc

3

: to direct (something, such as a question or comment) so as to elicit a response

intransitive verb

1

a

: to move slowly and heavily

b

: to move in an arc

2

: to hit a tennis ball easily in a high arc

lob

3 of 4

noun (2)

: a soft high-arching shot, throw, or kick

lob-

4 of 4

combining form

variants or lobo-

: lobe

lobar

lobotomy

Synonyms

Verb

• cast
• catapult
• chuck
• dash
• fire
• fling
• heave
• hurl
• hurtle
• launch
• loft
• peg
• pelt
• pitch
• sling
• throw
• toss

Examples of lob in a Sentence

Verb

She lobbed a throw to the pitcher.

The soldier lobbed a grenade into the bunker.

He lobbed the ball over his opponent's head.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Hartenstein is also a lob threat and has a respectable 3-point shot that will open things up for the Thunder on the offensive end. —Nick Crain, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024

Get into a car, and the stereo lobs you into the center of an opera house or a dance club. —Justin Davidson, Curbed, 16 Oct. 2024

Verb

The candidates and their surrogates have lobbed charges and countercharges against each other on issues ranging from the universal voucher program, to banning books, to policies on transgender students. —Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 5 Nov. 2024

While Walz and Vance have lobbed insults at each other on the campaign trail, both took a friendlier approach to the debate—in contrast with the more combative presidential debate last month between Trump and Harris. —Koh Ewe, TIME, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably of Low German origin; akin to Low German lubbe coarse person

Verb

lob a loosely hanging object

Combining form

lobe

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1508, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

lob

1 of 2 verb

ˈläb 

lobbed; lobbing

: to send (as a ball) in a high arc by hitting or throwing easily

lob

2 of 2 noun

: a lobbed throw or shot (as in tennis)