Word.ws English Dictionary

double

Syllables: doub·leUK/ˈdʌb.əl/

double adjective: made up of two matching or complementary elements.

Adjective

double (not comparable)

  1. Made up of two matching or complementary elements.
    • The closet has double doors.
    • “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Such is not the usage of civilized warfare. Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”1910, Emerson Hough, “A Lady in Company”, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC
    Synonyms:
    binary
  2. Of twice the quantity.
    • Give me a double serving of mashed potatoes.
    • Britain's population density used to be double that of China.
    Synonyms:
    duplicate
  3. Of a family relationship, related on both the maternal and paternal sides of a family.
    • He's my double cousin as my mother's sister married my father's brother.
  4. Designed for two (people, cars, etc.).
    • a double room
    • a double garage
  5. Folded in two; composed of two layers.
  6. Stooping; bent over.
  7. Having two aspects; ambiguous.
    • a double meaning
    • Assuming the accuracy of his information, the curious fact was established that Mr Rigby Lacksome, ostensibly in England to attend the book sales, had prompted a convenient organization to carry out a raid on a certain historic building, while he himself immediately appeared on the scene with an...1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries
    Synonyms:
    twofold
  8. False, deceitful, or hypocritical.
    • a double life
    • A fals double tunge is more fiers and fell
      Then Cerberus the cur couching in the kenel of hel;
      Wherof hereafter, I thinke for to write,c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.
  9. Of flowers, having more than the normal number of petals.
  10. Of an instrument, sounding an octave lower.
    • a double bass
  11. Of time, twice as fast.

Adverb

double (not comparable)

  1. Twice over; twofold; doubly.
    • February 7 1736, Jonathan Swift, letter to Alexander Pope
      I was double their age.
    Synonyms:
    doubly
  2. Two together; two at a time.
    • When I met the twins, I thought I was seeing double.
    • There are only a few beds, so some of the children will have to sleep double for the night.
  3. Into two halves or sections.
    • The old man was bent double under his heavy burden.

Noun (1)

double (plural doubles)

  1. Twice the number, amount, size, etc.
    • I did double his sales this month.
  2. A person who resembles and stands in for another person, often for safety purposes
    • Saddam Hussein was rumored to have many doubles.
  3. A drink with two portions of alcohol.
    • On second thought, make that a double.
  4. Two shifts of work back to back.
    • I work a double this weekend.
  5. A ghostly apparition of a living person; a doppelgänger.
    • According to the description our captain had given me of Peter Sandaker once when he had dropped behind on the march, he was particularly good at telling tales and stories about goblin-birds, doubles, and fairies, and had a special fancy for entering into the most minute details, whenever he...1886, Peter Christen Asbjø￵rnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 71
  6. A sharp turn, especially a return on one's own tracks.
  7. A redundant item for which an identical item already exists.
    • I have more than 200 stamps in my collection but they're not all unique: some are doubles.
    • Before printing the photos, Liam deleted the doubles.
  8. A two-base hit.
    • The catcher hit a double to lead off the ninth.
  9. A call that increases certain scoring points if the last preceding bid becomes the contract.
  10. A strike in which the object ball is struck so as to make it rebound against the cushion to an opposite pocket.
    • Brecel fired in doubles, a succession of stunning long pots and seemingly cleared balls at will as he rattled through the first four frames in under an hour.2023 May 1, Steve Sutcliffe, “World Snooker Championship 2023 final: Luca Brecel beats Mark Selby for first world title”, in BBC Sport
  11. A bet on two horses in different races in which any winnings from the first race are placed on the horse in the later race.
    • Not only did I collect on the double; I had the win and the place money as well.2005, Kenneth Brown, ...and I Survived: A Barnardo Boy's Memoir, page 55
  12. The narrow outermost ring on a dartboard.
Show 18 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. A hit on this ring.
  2. A tile that has the same value (i.e., the same number of pips) on both sides.
  3. A double-precision floating-point number.
    • The sine function returns a double.
  4. Two competitions, usually one league and one cup, won by the same team in a single season.
  5. A boat for two scullers.
  6. The feat of scoring twice in one game.
    • DJ Campbell grabbed a second-half double as Blackpool made Sunderland pay for a host of missed chances to secure a fifth away league win of the season.2010 December 28, Owen Phillips, “Sunderland 0 - 2 Blackpool”, in BBC
  7. (chiefly swimming and track) The feat of winning two events in a single meet or competition.
    • In 1996, Michael Johnson achieved a double by winning both the 200 and 400 meter dashes.
  8. The achievement of 1000 runs and 100 wickets taken in a single season.
  9. (historical) A former French coin worth one-sixth of a sou.
  10. (Guernsey, historical) A copper coin worth one-eighth of a penny.
    • As for doubles, they are not worth anything now; and I have still got an egg-cupful my mother used to keep handy to give the baker change from a farthing.1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 196
  11. Playing the same part on two instruments, alternately.
  12. A double feast.
  13. Synonym of double-quick (“fast marching pace”).
    Synonyms:
    double-quick
  14. A secondary instrument with which a musician is skilled.
    • The saxophone is a valuable and rewarding double, and opens up many gigs that aren’t available to players of just the “orchestral” woodwinds.2020 January 4, Bret Pimentel, “Woodwind doubling and saxophone problems”, in Bret Pimentel, woodwinds
  15. (dated, slang) A double-cross or betrayal.
    • His fellows had chaffed him much upon the way that astute adventurer had bamboozled him, or, in their vernacular, "put the double on him," and vowed that all his energies should be devoted to a return match.1880, Hawley Smart, False Cards, page 216
  16. A double agent.
    • 'This is 007 speaking. This is an open line. It's an emergency. Can you hear me? Pass this on at once. 3030 was a double, working for Redland.1953, Ian Fleming, “The Bleeding Heart”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 189
  17. (slang) Someone who identifies with the same kintype.
    • seeing a double of their kintype can feel threatening or disorienting, or just make them kind of uncomfortable if their kintype is very personal to them.2018 January 2, fictkinhelp, Tumblr, archived from the original on 27 Jul 2026
  18. (slang) Someone who yumeships with the same character as another person.
    • Haven’t been in the yumeshipping space for all that long so I never really knew if I was sharing or not until I talked to a double.2026 July 13, idiotcel, “Sharing yumeshippers, how do you view doubles?”, in Reddit, archived from the original on 27 Jul 2026

Verb

double (third-person singular simple present doubles, present participle doubling, simple past and past participle doubled)

  1. (transitive) To multiply by two.
    • The company doubled their earnings per share over last quarter.
    Synonyms:
    redouble
  2. (intransitive) To increase by 100%, to become twice as large in size.
    • Our earnings have doubled in the last year.
  3. To be the double of; to exceed by twofold; to contain or be worth twice as much as.
    • Thus re-inforc’d, againſt the adverſe Fleet / Still doubling ours, brave Rupert leads the way.1667, John Dryden, Annus Mirabilis: The Year of Wonders, 1666. […], London: […] Henry Herringman, […], →OCLC, stanza 119, page 31
  4. (transitive) To fold over so as to make two folds.
    • To make a pleat, double the material at the waist.
  5. (sometimes, transitive) To clench (a fist).
  6. To get a two-base hit.
    • The batter doubled into the corner.
  7. (often, transitive) To join or couple.
  8. (transitive) To repeat exactly; copy.
    Synonyms:
    facsimilize
  9. (intransitive) To serve a second role or have a second purpose.
    • A spork is a kind of fork that doubles as a spoon.
  10. (ambitransitive, sometimes) To act as substitute for (another theatrical performer in a certain role, etc).
    • Laforêt, who (as the French express it), doubles Lainez, that is, performs the same characters in his absence.1801, Francis William Blagdon, Paris as it was and as it is, published 1803, II, xli, 60
    • […] and when she attempted to double the part of her mother, she equally failed in playing the great or agreeable lady.1814, Elizabeth Hervey, The Mourtray Family: Third Edition, page 31
  11. To play (both one part and another, in the same play, etc).
    • When, therefore, Briggs, the sedate, middle-aged individual, who in the Markham household doubles the roles of butler and valet, makes his appearance, his master affects to be in a great hurry, looks at his watch, and says : […]1878, lady Isabella Emma E. Schuster, Hands Not Hearts, page 141
    • Miss Theby doubles in the part of Rose and the native girl in the Philippines. This is a problem plot in which a young man leaves the girl of his choice because she has had an affair in her earlier years. He goes to the Philippines, […]1916, The Moving Picture World, page 335
  12. (intransitive) To turn sharply, following a winding course.
Show 11 more meaningsShow fewer meanings
  1. To sail around (a headland or other point).
    • Sailing along the coast, he doubled the promontory of Carthage.1603, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC
    • […] though the Iſland itſelf was not very large […] I found a great Ledge of Rocks lie out about two Leagues into the Sea[…]ſo that I was oblig’d to go a great Way out to Sea to double the Point.1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […], →OCLC, page 162
  2. To duplicate (a part) either in unison or at the octave above or below it.
  3. (intransitive, usually) To be capable of performing (upon an additional instrument).
  4. To make a call that will double certain scoring points if the preceding bid becomes the contract.
  5. (intransitive) To double down.
  6. To cause (a ball) to rebound from a cushion before entering the pocket.
  7. (intransitive) To go or march at twice the normal speed.
    • "You double down to the harbour, my lad," said the Captain to Strickland, "and sign on. You've got your papers."
      Strickland set off at once, and that was the last Captain Nichols saw of him.1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter XLVII, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC, page 250
  8. (transitive) To multiply the strength or effect of by two.
    • Sorry, this store does not double coupons.
  9. To unite, as ranks or files, so as to form one from each two.
  10. (informal) To transmit simultaneously on the same channel as another station, either unintentionally or deliberately, causing interference.
    • Could you please repeat your last transmission? Another station was doubling with you.
  11. (intransitive) To operate as a double agent.
    • Was this simply the cover name of an Allied spy-code named the Brass Monkey? […] The possibility that the Brass Monkey himself was "doubling" (with headquarters' approval, of course) is too logical […]1973, National Lampoon, page 12

Proper noun capitalized: Double

Double (plural Doubles)

  1. A surname.

Noun (2) capitalized: Double

the Double (plural Doubles)

  1. (US) Collectively, both the Indianapolis 500, a day race, and the Coca-Cola 600, an evening race, both of which are run on Memorial Day weekend Sunday. Used concerning racers who (wish[/ed/ing] to) participat[e/ed/ing] in both events, typically using a private jet to travel between Indianapolis, Indiana, after the 500 and Charlotte, North Carolina, to get to the 600.

double meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

double in Hindi

made up of two matching or complementary elements
दुगना dugnā

double in Tamil

இரட்டை, இரு மடங்காக்கு, இரட்டிப்பாக்கு

double in Marathi

दुहेरी, दुप्पट

double in Urdu

made up of two matching or complementary elements
دُگْنا dugnā
More languagesFewer languages
double in Bengali
দ্বিগুণ digun
double in Telugu
రెట్టింపు reṭṭimpu
double in Malayalam
ഇരട്ടി iraṭṭi
double in Kannada
ಎರಡರಷ್ಟು, ದುಪ್ಪಟ್ಟು, ಇಮ್ಮಡಿ, ದ್ವಿಗುಣ
double in Punjabi
ਦੁੱਗਣਾ, ਦੁੱਗਣੀ
double in Gujarati
બમણું bamṇũ, દૂણું dūṇũ
double in Odia
ଦ୍ୱିଗୁଣିତ, ଦ୍ୱିଗୁଣିତ କରନ୍ତୁ
double in Sanskrit
द्वय dvaya
double in Sinhala
ඉරට්ට iraṭṭa
double in Nepali
दोब्बर, डबल, दोहोरो
double in Tagalog
dalwahan
double in Arabic
ثُنَائِيّ ṯunāʔiyy, ضِعْف ḍiʕf
double in Malay
kembar, melipat ganda, melipatgandakan
double in Indonesian
ganda, kembar dua, dobel, rangkap dua
double in Persian
دوگانه dogâne, دوبل dubl
double in Thai
สองเท่า
double in Vietnamese
kép, đôi, nhân đôi, gấp đôi

Examples of double in a sentence

  • The 40-year-old [Mike Skinner] is happy to put his body on the line in other ways, swapping a mug of tea for a fan's double pint of lager and messily necking it in one.2019 January 26, Kitty Empire [pseudonym], “The Streets review – the agony and ecstasy of a great everyman”, in Katharine Viner, editor...
  • In On the Beat he doubles the parts of a constable and a gang-leader.1997, Roger Lewis, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Hal Leonard Corporation, →ISBN:
  • In his case the matter is simplified by the fact that the head of his Deception Staff doubles the roles of author and producer.2013, Hy Rothstein, Barton Whaley, The Art and Science of Military Deception, Artech House, →ISBN, page 164:

All 40 example sentences with double

Synonyms of double

Antonyms

All synonyms and antonyms of double

Forms of double

Noun
pluraldoubles
pluralDoubles
Verb
third-person singular presentdoubles
present participledoubling
past participledoubled
pastdoubled
Proper noun
pluralDoubles

Past tense of double: doubled

Plural of double: doubles

Origin of double

PIE word *dwóh₁ Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh₁ Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Indo-European *-plos Proto-Indo-European *dwiplós Proto-Italic *dwiplos Proto-Italic *duplos Latin duplus Old French dobleder. Middle English double English double From Middle English double, from Old French doble, double, from Latin duplus (“twofold”). Doublet of doppio and duple.

Words formed from double

Phrases with double

173 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with double

Questions about double

What does double mean?
Double means made up of two matching or complementary elements.
What is double in Hindi?
Double in Hindi is दुगना (dugnā). See Double meaning in Hindi.
How do you use double in a sentence?
The 40-year-old [Mike Skinner] is happy to put his body on the line in other ways, swapping a mug of tea for a fan's double pint of lager and messily necking it in one.
What part of speech is double?
Double can be an adjective, an adverb, a noun or a verb.
How do you pronounce double?
Double is pronounced /ˈdʌb.əl/ (UK).

Words near double in the dictionary

  1. doub grass
  2. doubanjiang
  3. Doubek
  4. Doubeks
  5. doublable
  6. double
  7. double A
  8. double A-side
  9. double A-sides
  10. double acrostic
  11. double acrostics

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: double (page history and authors); Double (page history and authors); double (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); double (Marathi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); double (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors); double (Punjabi, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); દૂણું (Gujarati) (page history and authors); double (Odia, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license); ඉරට්ට (Sinhala) (page history and authors); double (Nepali, IndicTrans2 machine translation) (model and license). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-double.ogg.

Cite this entry: “double.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/double. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.