dub

IPA/dʌb/
KK[dˈʌb]IPA/dʌb/

dub — verb

  • dubpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • dubshe / she / it
  • dubbedpast simple
  • dubbing-ing form

1. to give a person, thing, or place a descriptive or humorous name that reflects w

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to give a person, thing, or place a descriptive or humorous name that reflects what you think about them.

Example

Journalists dubbed the young athlete 'the rising star' after she won three gold medals.

dub + object + nickname in quotation marks

Local residents dubbed the old bridge 'the rattler' because it shakes when trucks cross it.

dub + place + nickname with reason clause

Common collocations
  • dubbed by critics
  • dubbed by the media
  • dubbed by local residents
  • mockingly dubbed
  • affectionately dubbed
Synonyms
  • call

    neutral and more common; 'dub' adds a sense of public or media labelling

  • label

    suggests a fixed or reductive category, often negative; 'dub' is less judgmental

  • nickname

    specifically for giving an informal name; 'dub' can be used for both people and things

Grammar Patterns

dub + object + noun phrase (the name/label)

Usage Note

Frequently used in journalism and informal speech. The nickname is usually placed in quotation marks or after 'a'/'an'. The object can be a person, a place, or a product.

Common Mistakes

They dubbed their baby Emily.
They named their baby Emily.
'dub' gives a descriptive or humorous label, not an official name.
She dubbed him as the captain.
She dubbed him the captain.
no preposition 'as' is needed after 'dub' in this pattern.

2. to formally grant a man the title of knight in a ceremony where a monarch touche

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to formally grant a man the title of knight in a ceremony where a monarch touches both the man's shoulders using a sword while announcing his new rank.

Example

The queen dubbed the famous actor Sir Owen during a ceremony at Windsor Castle.

passive structure: monarch dubs + person + title

King Henry II dubbed several loyal soldiers after their victory in the battle of 1174.

historical context: monarch + dubs + multiple people

Common collocations
  • dubbed a knight
  • dubbed by the queen
  • dubbed with a sword
  • knighting ceremony
Synonyms
  • knight

    used also as a verb but is much rarer; 'dub' is the traditional term

  • confer knighthood on

    more formal and descriptive, less common in everyday language

Grammar Patterns

dub + person + (a) knight

be dubbed (a) knight

Usage Note

Limited to the British honours system and historical contexts. The subject is usually a monarch or royal representative. The verb is most commonly used in the passive or in past-tense historical narrative.

Common Mistakes

The president dubbed him a knight.
The queen dubbed him a knight.
knighthoods are conferred by the British monarch, not by political leaders.
She was dubbed a knight for her charity work.
She was made a dame for her charity work.
'dame' is the female equivalent; 'dub' is traditionally used for men.

3. to create a new audio track for a film or programme by recording over the existi

3.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to create a new audio track for a film or programme by recording over the existing speech using a different language.

Example

The popular anime was dubbed into Spanish and became a hit across Latin America.

passive: be dubbed into [language]

The studio hired native speakers to dub the documentary into Mandarin and Cantonese.

active: hire + to dub + object + into + language

Common collocations
  • dubbed into English
  • dubbed version
  • dubbed film
  • dubbed series
  • dubbed from Korean
  • dub a movie
  • dub an episode
Synonyms
  • translate

    broader — refers to written conversion, not replacing audio

  • re-voice

    more technical term for replacing audio in production; less common for learners

Antonyms
  • subtitle

    adds text translation without replacing the original audio track

Grammar Patterns

dub + film/programme + into + language

dubbed + from + language + into + language

Usage Note

Distinguish from 'subtitle', which adds text without changing the audio. 'Dubbed into [language]' is the most common prepositional pattern. The past participle 'dubbed' is often used as an adjective before nouns like 'version', 'film', or 'series'.

Common Mistakes

The movie was dubbed with Chinese subtitles.
The movie had Chinese subtitles.' or 'The movie was dubbed into Chinese.
dubbing replaces the audio; subtitles add on-screen text without changing the audio.

dub — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words relate to giving someone or something a name, but they differ in tone and usage. 'Call' (A1) is the most neutral and common: 'They call him Uncle Ben.' 'Name' (A1) is the official act of giving a name: 'They named the baby Sofia.' 'Label' (B2) often implies a fixed or reductive category and can carry a negative judgment: 'The press labelled him a troublemaker.' 'Nickname' (B2) means to give an informal or affectionate name: 'Her classmates nicknamed her Sparky.' 'Dub' (B2) sits in the middle — it is more colourful than 'call', less negative than 'label', and applies to both people and things (not just people, unlike 'nickname'). For example: 'Critics dubbed the building a concrete monster' — here 'called' would be too flat, 'labelled' too harsh, and 'nicknamed' would feel odd for a building.

call ↗label ↗nickname ↗name ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • mockingly dubbed
  • affectionately dubbed
  • famously dubbed
  • informally dubbed

Phrases

  • dub sb/sth + noun phrase
  • be dubbed a knight
  • dubbed version
  • dubbed into [language]

Prepositions

  • into (dubbed into French)
  • from (dubbed from Japanese)
  • by (dubbed by the queen)

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchEnglish

The word 'dub' has two separate origins. The knighthood sense comes from Old English 'dubban' (to strike with a sword), which was influenced by Old French 'adorber' (to equip with arms). The nickname sense grew out of this — if you can 'dub someone a knight', you can also 'dub someone a name'. The audio and music senses come from a different root: they are a shortened form of 'double', referring to the process of double-recording or adding extra sound layers. In 1960s Jamaica, sound engineers began making instrumental remixes of reggae songs, calling the result 'dub' from 'dub plate' (a double-recorded acetate disc), and the music genre was born.