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dub

C2
verbnoun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /dˈʌb/

US

  • /ˈdəb/

Description

To "dub" something means to give it a new name or label, like when a king or queen names someone "Sir" in a ceremony. Beyond titles, it also has a clear meaning in film and audio work. When a movie is made in one language, it is often *dubbed* into others by replacing the original dialogue with new voices, so more people can follow it. You can also "dub" a song onto a mixtape, which means copying the audio from one source to another.

The word comes from an old sense meaning "to strike," which links to the act of knighting, where a person was touched with a sword. Whether you are giving a title or adding new voices to a film, the idea is still about giving something a new name, sound, or identity.

Examples

  1. 1

    Nickname

    His teammates dubbed him Rocket because he could outrun everyone.

  2. 2

    Public label

    The local paper dubbed the new library "the living room of the city."

  3. 3

    Critical judgment

    Some experts have already dubbed the project a failure.

  4. 4

    Audio translation

    The series was dubbed into English before it was released online.

    • Pattern

      dub something into + language

      replace the original voices with voices in that language

  5. 5

    Translated version

    I watched the dubbed version because I didn't want to read subtitles.

Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • dubverbnoun

Forms

  • dubbedpast tenseverbnoun
  • dubsverbnoun
  • dubbing-ing formverbnoun