dough

noun

ˈdō How to pronounce dough (audio)
Synonyms of doughnext
1
: a mixture that consists essentially of flour or meal and a liquid (such as milk or water) and is stiff enough to knead or roll
2
: something resembling dough especially in consistency
3
: money
doesn't have much dough
4
military : doughboy
doughlike
ˈdō-ˌlīk How to pronounce dough (audio)
adjective

Synonyms of dough

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Examples of dough in a Sentence

I don't have much dough. didn't have to spend a lot of dough for a new stereo
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.
By combining their advice with the basics of bread chemistry, Ahrens developed the fluffy yeast dough recipe that would define the shop’s future. — Gabi De La Rosa, Southern Living, 4 Aug. 2026 Scoop or roll your dough into balls (½ cup or 2 ¾ ounce ice cream scoop in size) and place 2 to 3 inches apart on your prepared sheets. — Shafiq Najib, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 Pinsa Romana, which are essentially flatbreads, are made with Barrientos’ homemade dough and baked into a light, airy crust. — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2026 Keep an eye out for the all-new Fall Cinnamon Cookie Dough, which features a rich cinnamon cookie dough, thick flakes of cinnamon, and fall sprinkles. — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dough

Word History

Etymology

Middle English doh, dogh, dowe, going back to Old English dāg, going back to Germanic *daiga- (whence Middle Dutch deech "dough," Old High German teig, Old Norse deig, deigr, Gothic daigs), ablaut derivative from the base of *digan-, *dīgan- "to knead, shape" (whence Gothic digan, gadigan "to knead, form from clay"), going back to Indo-European *dhei̯ǵh- "knead, shape" — more at feign

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dough was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing dough

Rhymes for dough

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Browse Nearby Words

doug
dough
dough-baked
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dough.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dough. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dough

noun
ˈdō How to pronounce dough (audio)
1
: a soft mass of moistened flour or meal thick enough to knead or roll
2
: something resembling dough especially in consistency
3
: money sense 1a
doughy
ˈdō-ē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on dough

Nglish: Translation of dough for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dough

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