dinghy

noun

din·​ghy ˈdiŋ-ē How to pronounce dinghy (audio)
-gē
plural dinghies
Synonyms of dinghynext
1
a
: a small boat carried on or towed behind a larger boat as a tender or a lifeboat
b
: a small sailboat
2
: a rubber life raft
3
: a rowboat or sailboat used to carry passengers or cargo on the coasts of India especially in sheltered waters around the peninsula

Examples of dinghy in a Sentence

we went sailing on the secluded lake in a little two-person dinghy
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Nineteen people were found dead and 58 rescued alive by the Italian coast guard, which intercepted a dinghy filled with migrants that was in distress about 80 nautical miles from the southern Italian island of Lampedusa on Tuesday night. Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026 Officials say the crash happened last Wednesday night while Veglia and his 14-year-old son were on an inflatable dinghy near Indian Creek and Biscayne Pointe. Anna McAllister, CBS News, 31 Mar. 2026 On Wednesday night, a father and son were out on a dinghy off of Miami Beach when they were struck by another boat and thrown into the water. Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 28 Mar. 2026 The father and son were on a 7-foot inflatable dinghy when they were hit, the news outlets reported. Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dinghy

Word History

Etymology

Bengali ḍiṅgi, Urdu ḍīngī & Hindi ḍieṁgī

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of dinghy was in 1810

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dinghy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dinghy. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

dinghy

noun
din·​ghy ˈdiŋ-ē How to pronounce dinghy (audio)
-gē
plural dinghies
1
: a small rowboat or sailboat
especially : one carried on a larger boat
2
: a rubber life raft

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