hobby

nounpleasurable pastime

Word Origin & History

late 13c., hobyn, "small horse, pony," later "mock horse used in the morris dance," and c.1550 "child's toy riding horse," which led to hobby-horse in a transferred sense of "favorite pastime or avocation," first recorded 1670s, shortened to hobby by 1816. The connecting notion being "activity that doesn't go anywhere." Probably originally a proper name for a horse (cf. dobbin), a diminutive of Robert or Robin. The original hobbyhorse was a "Tourney Horse," a wooden or basketwork frame worn around the waist and held on with shoulder straps, with a fake tail and horse head attached, so the wearer appears to be riding a horse. These were part of church and civic celebrations at Midsummer and New Year's throughout England.

Example Sentences for hobby

But her interest in his hobby for once failed to awaken his enthusiasm.

Is it to be a commercial union, this hobby of your minister here?

"Because the solution of such matters is a hobby of his," Wrayson answered.

She mentions it to everybody; it's a sort of hobby of hers, like my humble self, and the roses.

My two years at lectures had not been passed in vain, and surgery had been my hobby.

As for himself, he had got on very well without any special inclination or hobby.

That is the hobby of all diplomatists; they like people to believe that they are omniscient.

Alienists declare that almost every man and woman has some hobby or mania.

And no man of spirit would think of seeking to curb his hobby's gallop.

The cook might well be careworn, for cookery was the Major's hobby.

Relevance ranks synonyms and suggests the best matches based on how closely a synonym’s sense matches the sense you selected.

Relevance

A-Z

Length

Synonyms for hobby

noun pleasurable pastime

hobby

Synonyms for hobby

Antonyms for hobby

More words related to hobby

activities

activity

amusement

bag

bags

enthusiasm

hobby

Synonyms for hobby

Antonyms for hobby

More words related to hobby

.css-1unrqcp{color:inherit;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}activities

activity

amusement

bag

bags

enthusiasm

activities