stab

stab — noun

1. an event in which someone uses a pointed weapon like a knife to harm another per

1.nounB1
Definition

an event in which someone uses a pointed weapon like a knife to harm another person, or the cut caused by such an attack

Example

Doctors worked quickly to close the deep stab wound in Salma's stomach.

collocation: stab wound

Police found a kitchen knife near the place where the stabbing happened.

Common collocations
  • stab wound
  • stab injury
  • fatal stab
  • deep stab
  • single stab
Synonyms
  • stabbing

    the noun stabbing refers more to the criminal incident than to the wound itself

  • puncture wound

    a medical term that does not specify the weapon; less violent in tone

Grammar Patterns

stab + wound/injury

stab + in + body part

Usage Note

Frequently found in crime reports and medical contexts. Compounds such as stab wound, stab injury, and stabbing incident are common. The body part usually follows the preposition to or in.

Common Mistakes

He got a stab in the street.
He got stabbed in the street.
to describe the action, use the verb 'stab' rather than the noun 'stab'; the noun typically describes the wound itself.

2. a sudden, brief feeling — either physical or emotional — that comes and goes qui

2.nounB2
Definition

a sudden, brief feeling — either physical or emotional — that comes and goes quickly, often painful or upsetting like a sensation of guilt or fear

Example

A sharp stab of pain shot through her ankle when she stepped off the kerb.

collocation: stab of pain

Talia felt a sudden stab of guilt for not inviting her cousin to the wedding.

collocation: stab of guilt

Common collocations
  • stab of pain
  • stab of guilt
  • stab of jealousy
  • stab of regret
  • sharp stab
  • sudden stab
  • brief stab
Synonyms
  • pang

    more often emotional than physical; slightly more literary

  • twinge

    milder and shorter than a stab; can be physical or emotional

Antonyms
  • relief

    the opposite of a painful sensation

Grammar Patterns

stab + of + pain/guilt/fear

Usage Note

Almost always followed by of plus an abstract noun that names the feeling (pain, guilt, fear, jealousy, regret). The determiner is typically a or a possessive (a stab of pain / her stab of guilt). This sense does not describe physical wounds — only sudden sensations.

Common Mistakes

I felt a stab in my leg.' (if meaning a physical wound).
I felt a stab of pain in my leg.
for the sensation sense, always include the feeling after 'of'; for a physical wound, use noun sense 1 or the verb.

3. something that a person says or does with the aim of damaging another person's g

3.nounC1
Definition

something that a person says or does with the aim of damaging another person's good name or social position

Example

Her comment during the meeting was a clear stab at her colleague's reputation.

collocation: stab at reputation

The editorial contained a thinly hidden stab at the mayor's honesty.

Common collocations
  • stab at reputation
  • stab at character
  • thinly hidden stab
  • pointed stab
  • mean-spirited stab
Synonyms
  • dig

    less formal; a pointed remark that is often indirect

  • insult

    broader in meaning; can be any rude or offensive remark, not necessarily aimed at reputation

Grammar Patterns

stab + at + noun

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (a physical wound) and from the idiom 'have a stab at something' (meaning an attempt). This sense is always abstract — the weapon is a remark or action, not a knife. Often followed by at introducing the target.

Common Mistakes

The article was a stab to the minister.
The article was a stab at the minister's reputation.
the preposition is at, not to, and the target is the person's standing, not the person directly.

stab — verb

Word family

  • stabbing
    nounB1
  • stabbing
    adjectiveB2
  • stabber
    nounC1
  • stab wound
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe forcing a pointed object into something, but they differ in violence and purpose. Stab (B1) implies a deliberate, forceful attack with a knife or similar weapon — it is the most violent of the group and is strongly associated with crime and injury. Pierce (B2) is more neutral: a needle pierces skin, a nail pierces a tyre, or light pierces darkness; it does not suggest intent to harm. Puncture (B2) specifically means to make a small hole, often accidentally (a nail punctures a tyre) or in a medical context (a syringe punctures the skin). Jab (B2) is a quick, sharp push that can be playful or aggressive — a boxer jabs an opponent, or you jab a button with your finger. Unlike stab, jab does not always cause injury. 'She stabbed the cake with a fork' suggests forceful checking; 'she jabbed the cake with a fork' sounds more aggressive. Choose stab when the intent is to harm, pierce or puncture when describing an opening without violence, and jab for quick, sharp movements in sport or gesture.

stab ↗pierce ↗puncturejab

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • stab in the dark
  • stab wound
  • stab injury
  • stab vest

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle EnglishScotsEnglish

The word stab first appeared in English in the 1400s, probably coming from a Scottish or northern English variant of the Middle English word stubben, meaning 'to pierce or thrust'. It may also be related to the older English word stician ('to pierce, stick'), which gave us the modern word stick (as in 'to stick a needle into something'). By the 1500s, stab had taken on its modern meaning of attacking someone with a knife. The figurative senses — a stab of pain (1600s) and a stab in the back meaning 'betrayal' (1800s) — developed later as the word expanded beyond physical violence.