What does "squib" mean?
A small firework that is intended to spew sparks rather than explode.
Squib
/skwɪb/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small firework that is intended to spew sparks rather than explode.
- Grammar: squib is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: agile wit, aspersion, atticism, black humor.
- Useful contrasts: discharge, extol, ignite.
- Usage evidence: The much anticipated new theatre production was unfortunately a bit of a damp squib in the end.
How to use "squib"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "squib" 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 "squib" 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 "squib" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "squib" 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 "squib" is acting as noun, verb, slang 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 "agile wit" 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 "squib", 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 A small firework that is intended to spew sparks rather than explode.
"English Navy squibs set fire to two dozen enemy ships in a Dutch harbor during the 16th-century battle against the Spanish Armada."
- 2 firework consisting of a tube filled with powder (as a broken firecracker) that burns with a fizzing noise wordnet
- 3 A similar device used to ignite an explosive or launch a rocket, etc.
- 4 A kind of slow match or safety fuse.
- 5 Any small firecracker sold to the general public, usually in special clusters designed to explode in series after a single master fuse is lit. US
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 A malfunction in which the fired projectile does not have enough force behind it to exit the barrel, and thus becomes stuck.
- 7 The heating element used to set off the sodium azide pellets in a vehicle's airbag.
- 8 In special effects, a small explosive used to replicate a bullet hitting a surface or a gunshot wound on an actor.
- 9 A short piece of witty writing; a lampoon. dated
"Ye nevvs-paper vvitlings! ye pert ſcribbling folks! / VVho copied his ſquibs, and re-echoed his jokes, […]"
- 10 A writer of lampoons. dated
"November 1, 1709, Richard Steele, The Tatler The squibs are those who in the common phrase of the world are called libellers, lampooners, and pamphleteers."
- 11 In a legal casebook, a short summary of a legal action placed between more extensively quoted cases.
- 12 A short article, often published in journals, that introduces theoretically problematic empirical data or discusses an overlooked theoretical problem. In contrast to a typical article, a squib need not answer the questions that it poses.
"In this squib I will prove that the number of possible metrical parsings into feet under these assumptions […]"
- 13 An unimportant, paltry, or mean-spirited person.
"Its a hard case when men of good deserving / must either driven be perforce to sterving / or asked for their pas by everie squib."
- 14 A sketched concept or visual solution, usually very quick and not too detailed.
- 15 A coward or wimp. Australia
"I'm putting my foot down, Janelle. We're raising a nation of squibs!"
Verb
- 1 To make a sound like a small explosion.
"A Snider squibbed in the jungle."
- 2 To throw squibs; to utter sarcastic or severe reflections; to contend in petty dispute. ambitransitive, colloquial, dated
"to squib a little debate"
- 3 To dodge something difficult, to bottle. Australia
"He squibbed the opportunity to push the claim that Kyoto should remain the flagship for international action - because deep down those on the other side know that the world has moved on beyond Kyoto."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"The much anticipated new theatre production was unfortunately a bit of a damp squib in the end."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "squib"?
Common synonyms include: agile wit, aspersion, atticism, black humor, blasting cap, brief note.
How do you use "squib" in a sentence?
The much anticipated new theatre production was unfortunately a bit of a damp squib in the end.
How do you pronounce "squib"?
Pronounced /skwɪb/.
Etymology
Possibly imitative of a small explosion.