dribble
/ˈdɹɪ.bɫ̩/verb, noun
dribble is spelled D-R-I-B-B-L-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, dribble means “In various ball games, to move (with) the ball, controlling its path by kicking or bouncing it repeatedly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in dribble?
| Letters | 7: D-R-I-B-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 26,776th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is dribble?
Dribble appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce dribble?
- UK /ˈdɹɪ.bəl/
- UK /dɹɪ.bl̩/
- US /ˈdɹɪ.bɫ̩/
Dribble has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-dribble.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with dribble?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dribble from its last stressed vowel (/ɪbl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of dribble
- dribbles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- dribbling participle, present
- dribbled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dribble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
In various ball games, to move (with) the ball, controlling its path by kicking or bouncing it repeatedly.
- 2
To let saliva drip from the mouth; to drool.
The baby dribbled onto its bib.
- 3
To fall in drops or an unsteady stream; to trickle.
- 4
To move or roll slowly or in small quantities.
- 5
To let something fall in drips.
- 6
datedTo live or pass one's time in a trivial fashion.
- 7
To perform a card flourish in which the cards fall smoothly from one's hand.
noun
- 1
Drool; saliva.
- 2
colloquialRubbish; worthless matter.
- 3
A weak, unsteady stream; a trickle.
- 4
A small amount of a liquid.
- 5
The act of moving (with) a ball by kicking or bouncing it.
- 6
A card flourish in which the cards fall smoothly from one's hand.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dribble in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | baver , goutter , dribbler , bave , goutte , dribble |
| German | sabbern, geifern , tropfen , dribbeln , Dribbeln, Dribbling |
| Portuguese | babar , gotejar, pingar , driblar , drible |
| Spanish | babear , gotear , regatear, gambetear, driblar, driblear |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does dribble come from?
From drib + -le (frequentative suffix).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).