Standard Lemma guide

dinghy

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɪŋ.(ɡ)i/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈdɪŋ.ɡi/
  • rhymes with -ɪŋi
  • rhymes with -ɪŋɡi
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH1 NG IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small open boat, propelled by oars or paddles, carried as a tender, lifeboat, or pleasure craft on a ship.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A sailing dinghy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An inflatable rubber life raft.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To travel by dinghy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: dory, rowboat

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: small boat

Narrower terms: rowing boat, wherry

History

Etymology

From Bengali ডিঙি (ḍiṅi), perhaps from Sanskrit द्रोण (droṇa, “wooden trough”).

Across languages

Translations

63 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bengali: ডিঙ্গা (ḍiṅga) — small boat
  • Bulgarian: корабна лодка (korabna lodka) — small boat
  • Catalan: bot — small boat
  • Chinese Mandarin: 救生筏 (jiùshēngfá) — small boat
  • Czech: loďka — small boat
  • Czech: člun — small boat
  • Danish: jolle — small boat
  • Dutch: jol — small boat
  • Dutch: kleine kano — small boat
  • Finnish: jolla — small boat
  • French: youyou — small boat
  • French: petit canoe — small boat
  • French: dinghy — small boat
  • Galician: batel — small boat
  • Galician: bote — small boat
  • German: Dingi — small boat
  • German: Jolle — small boat
  • Ancient Greek: λέμβος (lémbos) — small boat
  • Hebrew: דִּנְגִית (dingit) — small boat
  • Hebrew: דּוּגִית (dugit) — small boat
  • Hindi: डोंगी (ḍoṅgī) — small boat
  • Hindi: नाव (nāv) — small boat
  • Hungarian: gumicsónak — small boat
  • Icelandic: julla — small boat
  • Irish: báidín calaidh — small boat
  • Italian: battello — small boat
  • Italian: pedalò — small boat
  • Japanese: ディンギー (dingī) — small boat
  • Māori: poti — small boat
  • Norwegian Bokmål: jolle — small boat
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: jolle — small boat
  • Polish: bączek — small boat
  • Polish: bajbot — small boat
  • Portuguese: bote — small boat
  • Russian: я́лик (jálik) — small boat
  • Russian: шлю́пка (šljúpka) — small boat
  • Spanish: lancha — small boat
  • Spanish: bote de remo — small boat
  • Spanish: dingui — small boat
  • Spanish: patera — small boat
  • Spanish: batel — small boat
  • Swedish: dinge — small boat
  • Swedish: jolle — small boat
  • Urdu: ڈونگی (ḍoṅgī) — small boat
  • Urdu: ناو (nāv) — small boat
  • Bulgarian: надуваем сал (naduvaem sal) — inflatable boat
  • Catalan: bot pneumàtic — inflatable boat
  • Czech: nafukovací člun — inflatable boat
  • Dutch: rubberboot — inflatable boat
  • Finnish: kumivene — inflatable boat
  • French: dinghy — inflatable boat
  • German: Schlauchboot — inflatable boat
  • German: Floßsack — inflatable boat
  • German: Gummiboot — inflatable boat
  • Hungarian: gumicsónak — inflatable boat
  • Italian: battello pneumatico — inflatable boat
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gummibåt — inflatable boat
  • Portuguese: bote inflável — inflatable boat
  • Russian: рези́новая ло́дка (rezínovaja lódka) — inflatable boat
  • Russian: надувна́я ло́дка (naduvnája lódka) — inflatable boat
  • Spanish: balsa de caucho — inflatable boat
  • Spanish: bote inflable — inflatable boat
  • Swedish: gummibåt — inflatable boat
Real reading context

dinghy in complete knowledge articles