doll

doll — noun

1. an object made to look like a person or baby, used by children as a plaything

1.nounA2
Definition

an object made to look like a person or baby, used by children as a plaything

Example

Jisoo put her doll to bed and covered it with a tiny blanket.

put [doll] to bed

The little boy carried his rag doll everywhere he went.

rag doll

Common collocations
  • rag doll
  • paper doll
  • doll's house
  • doll clothes
  • porcelain doll
  • Barbie doll
  • cloth doll
Synonyms
  • toy

    a general term for any plaything; doll is a specific kind of toy

  • action figure

    a poseable doll representing a character from a film or comic, usually sold for boys

  • figurine

    a small decorative figure, not intended as a plaything

Usage Note

Doll is the general term; specific types include rag doll, porcelain doll, and paper doll. A doll's house is a miniature house for dolls to live in.

Common Mistakes

She played with her puppet all afternoon' (when the toy is a soft standalone figure).
She played with her doll all afternoon.
a puppet is moved by strings or a hand inside it; a doll is a standalone figure a child holds and moves directly.

2. a word used to refer to a young woman in a way that many people now find insulti

2.nounB2
Definition

a word used to refer to a young woman in a way that many people now find insulting, especially when it focuses on her appearance

Example

Some men still call young women 'dolls,' but the term is now seen as insulting.

The manager was told to stop calling female staff 'dolls' because it made them uncomfortable.

offensive register: referring to women as 'dolls' in workplace

Synonyms
  • babe

    also an informal and potentially offensive term of address for an attractive woman

  • honey

    can be affectionate or patronising depending on context and tone

  • arm candy

    slang for an attractive partner seen as a status symbol, strongly objectifying

Grammar Patterns

used as a term of address or reference

Usage Note

This sense is widely considered offensive or disrespectful, especially in professional or public settings. It reduces a woman to her appearance. Avoid using it unless you are discussing the term itself or describing dated language.

Common Mistakes

My boss called me a doll today at work, which was a nice compliment.
My boss called me a doll today at work, and I found it disrespectful.
using 'doll' to describe a woman in a workplace is widely considered inappropriate and objectifying.

3. someone who is kind, helpful, or pleasant — used as a friendly way to address or

3.nounB1
Definition

someone who is kind, helpful, or pleasant — used as a friendly way to address or describe a person

Example

Be a doll and grab me a coffee while you're at the counter.

be a doll and [request]

Élise is such a doll — she brought home-made soup when I was sick.

Common collocations
  • be a doll
  • real doll
  • sweet doll
Synonyms
  • sweetheart

    similar affectionate term, but more commonly used as direct address

  • darling

    warmer and more intimate; common between romantic partners or to children

  • gem

    suggests someone who is especially helpful or reliable, less intimate

Grammar Patterns

be a doll and [imperative]

Usage Note

Used affectionately, this sense is not offensive — unlike sense 2. It is most common in the fixed phrases 'be a doll' (making a friendly request) and 'you're a doll' (expressing thanks). Typically used between people who know each other.

Common Mistakes

She's such a doll' (said about a female colleague in a professional review, which could be mistaken for the offensive sense 2).
She's very kind and helpful
in formal or professional contexts, avoid using 'doll' to describe a woman, as listeners may interpret it as condescending.

Word family

  • dollhouse
    nounA2
  • doll-like
    adjectiveB2
  • dolled up
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A doll is a specific type of toy designed to look like a person or baby, usually for young children to handle, dress, and role-play with. A toy is the broadest category — any object for play, including dolls, balls, building blocks, and board games. An action figure is a poseable doll based on a character from a movie, comic, or video game, typically marketed to older children and collectors rather than toddlers. A figurine is a small decorative model of a person or animal that is not intended for active play; it sits on a shelf or in a display case. For example, a child might take a doll to bed, play with action figures in a battle scene, and keep a porcelain figurine safely on a high shelf.

doll ↗toy ↗action figurefigurine

Common collocations

Nouns

  • doll collector
  • doll maker
  • doll shop
  • doll museum

Phrases

  • dressed like a doll
  • as pretty as a doll

Prepositions

  • play with a doll

Etymology

English (from nickname Dorothy)Modern English

The word 'doll' started as a nickname for 'Dorothy' in the 1500s, much like 'Jack' for John or 'Betty' for Elizabeth. Over time it came to mean 'sweetheart' or 'darling,' and by the 1700s it was applied to children's toys — small figures that children treated affectionately, as if they were real people. The toy meaning eventually became the main sense.