Meaning & use
dumbbells
Last updated
“dumbbells” is a form of “dumbbell”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
nounplural
Short bars with a weight at each end, held in the hands for strength training exercises.
Grammar: Plural form of dumbbell: she lifts dumbbells, but one dumbbell is on the floor.
Patterns
- lift dumbbells
- exercise with dumbbells
He bought a pair of dumbbells to use at home.
The class curls dumbbells for ten repetitions.
Please put the dumbbells back on the rack after you finish.
Word forms
| singular | dumbbell |
|---|
Common combinations
- lift dumbbells
- She lifts dumbbells three times a week.
- a pair of dumbbells
- A pair of dumbbells sat by the sofa.
- adjustable dumbbells
- Adjustable dumbbells save space in a small apartment.
- heavy dumbbells
- Start with light weights before moving to heavy dumbbells.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hand weights
- Hand weights can include any small weights you hold, while dumbbells are the classic bar-with-two-ends shape.
- free weights
- Free weights is a broader category that also includes barbells and kettlebells, not just dumbbells.
- kettlebells
- Kettlebells have a single ball-shaped weight with a handle, so they are used differently from dumbbells.
Word family
Commonly confused: dumbbells or barbells? dumbbells or dumbells?
dumbbells vs barbells
Barbells are long bars lifted with both hands, while dumbbells are short and held one in each hand.
dumbbells vs dumbells
This single-b spelling is a common mistake; the correct spelling has two b's, dumbbells.
Practice
For this exercise, hold one of the ___ in each hand and raise your arms.
Choose one answer.
Dumbbells are held one per hand; a barbell is a single long bar and the other options are not hand weights.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dumbbells”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.