Meaning & use
dingbat
Last updated
a foolish or eccentric person, or a small decorative typographic symbol.
See it in a sentence
Her uncle is a lovable old dingbat who forgets his own birthday.
The designer added a dingbat between paragraphs to separate the sections.
A note on using this word
Has two very different common meanings: an informal, mildly teasing term for a silly person, and a technical printing term for ornamental symbols. Context makes clear which is meant.
Words with a similar meaning
oddballcharacter
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Another way to use it
2. noun
a small ornamental symbol or character used in printing, such as a bullet or flourish.
The old typewriter had a dingbat key for decorative stars.
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