doll

1 of 2

noun

ˈdäl How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯl
Synonyms of dollnext
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 How to pronounce doll (audio)
ˈdȯ-
adjective
dollishly adverb
dollishness noun

dollish

2 of 2

adjective

doll·​ish ˈdälish How to pronounce dollish (audio)
ˈdȯl-, 
-lēsh
: like a doll
specifically : pretty but rather empty-headed
dollishly
-lə̇shlē, 
-lēsh-, 
-shli
adverb
dollishness
-lishnə̇s, 
-lēsh-
noun
plural -es

Synonyms of doll

Relevance

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of doll in a Sentence

Noun My aunt collects porcelain dolls. there was a row of dolls along the shelf in the bedroom
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.
Noun
Founded in 2013, Miniso carries items like plush dolls, miniature lamps and perfume. — Noelle Alviz-Gransee, Kansas City Star, 8 July 2026 Sometimes, the dolls themselves are even a surprise, depending on which product is purchased. — Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 7 July 2026 Their daughter turns them into dolls, with Cody and May now having to work together to restore themselves to their human bodies. — George Yang, PC Magazine, 7 July 2026 There’s no way the doll monsters at the pond were the whole point of the Lake of Tears, right? — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for doll

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Doll, nickname for Dorothy

First Known Use

Noun

1693, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of doll was in 1693

Phrases Containing doll

Rhymes for doll

See All Rhymes for doll

Browse Nearby Words

Dolium
doll
doll's-eyes
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Doll.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doll. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

doll

noun
ˈdäl How to pronounce doll (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on doll

Nglish: Translation of doll for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about doll

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All