What does "hobby" mean?
An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
Hobby
/ˈhɑ.bi/ name, noun
name, noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
- Grammar: hobby is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: pursuit, avocation, pastime, amusement.
- Useful contrasts: career, enterprises, metier.
- Usage evidence: My hobby is to listen to music.
How to use "hobby"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hobby" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hobby" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hobby" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hobby" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hobby" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "pursuit" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hobby", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An activity that one enjoys doing in one's spare time.
"I like to collect stamps from different countries as a hobby."
- 2 Any of four species of small falcons in the genus Falco, especially Falco subbuteo.
"He hawked – from nearby Esher, Richard Fox sent a servant with a hobby, which Henry received enthusiastically – and hunted, sending a present of freshly slaughtered deer to Princess Mary."
- 3 an auxiliary activity wordnet
- 4 An extinct breed of horse native to the British Isles, also known as the Irish Hobby.
- 5 small Old World falcon formerly trained and flown at small birds wordnet
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Synonym of hobby horse (“a favorite topic”).
""Well, I think East is right," said Arthur; "I can't see but what it's right to do the best you can, though it mayn't be the best absolutely. Every man isn't born to be a martyr." "Of course, of course," said East; "but he's on one of his pet hobbies. — How often have I told you, Tom, that you must drive a nail where it'll go.""
- 7 a child's plaything consisting of an imitation horse mounted on rockers; the child straddles it and pretends to ride wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 An English surname transferred from the given name.
Antonyms
Example
"My hobby is to listen to music."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hobby"?
Common synonyms include: pursuit, avocation, pastime, amusement, automobiling, avocations.
How do you use "hobby" in a sentence?
My hobby is to listen to music.
How do you pronounce "hobby"?
Pronounced /ˈhɑ.bi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Shortened from hobby-horse, from Middle English hoby, hobyn, hobin (“small horse, pony”), from Old French hobi, *haubi, haubby, hobin ("a nag, hobby"; > Modern French aubin, Italian ubino), of Germanic origin: from Old French hober, ober (“to stir, move”), from Old Dutch hobben (“to toss, move up and down”); or from North Germanic origin related to Danish hoppe (“a mare”), Old Swedish hoppa (“a young mare”), North Frisian hoppe (“horse”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *huppōną (“to hop”), from Proto-Indo-European *kewb- (“to bend; a bend, joint”). More at hop, hobble. The meaning of hobby-horse shifted from "small horse, pony" to "child's toy riding horse" to "favorite pastime or avocation" with the connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere". Possibly originally from a proper name for a horse, a diminutive of Robert or Robin (compare dobbin).
Etymology 2
From Middle English hoby, hobeye, from Old French hobé, hobei, hobet, from Medieval Latin hopētus, diminutive of harpe.