What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
tinkering
Example
He spent the afternoon tinkering with his car's engine. [tinkering: verb]
Example
She enjoys tinkering with recipes to make them her own. [tinkering: gerund or present participle]
dabbling
Example
I've been dabbling in painting lately, but I'm not very good at it yet. [dabbling: present participle]
Example
He likes to dabble in different languages, but he's not fluent in any of them. [dabble: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Tinkering is more commonly used than dabbling in everyday language, especially in technical or mechanical contexts. Dabbling is less common and tends to be used more in informal or creative contexts.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between tinkering and dabbling?
Both tinkering and dabbling are relatively informal words, but tinkering can be used in more formal contexts related to technical or mechanical work, while dabbling is more commonly used in casual or creative contexts.
