Meaning & use

dumbbell

noun·Everyday

A short bar with a weight fixed at each end, held in one hand and used for strength exercise.

See it in a sentence

She lifted a dumbbell in each hand while doing slow, controlled curls.

The gym offered dumbbells ranging from very light to extremely heavy.

A note on using this word

Informally, dumbbell can also mean a foolish person, though this usage is dated and best avoided in careful writing.

Words with a similar meaning

hand weight

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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