MEANING
To spend time talking casually with people, especially people seen as influential.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- hobnob with executives
- hobnob at receptions
On the page
He preferred hobnobbing with donors to discussing the accounts.
Nearby words
Word forms
- Base
- hobnob
- Past tense
- hobnobbed
- Past participle
- hobnobbed
- Present participle
- hobnobbing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- hobnob
- Present continuous
- am/is/are hobnobbing
- Present perfect
- have/has hobnobbed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been hobnobbing
- Past
- hobnobbed
- Past continuous
- was/were hobnobbing
- Past perfect
- had hobnobbed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been hobnobbing
- Future
- will hobnob
- Future continuous
- will be hobnobbing
- Future perfect
- will have hobnobbed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been hobnobbing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Usage notes
Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: hobnob; hobnobs; hobnobbed; hobnobbed; hobnobbing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: uncommon. Third-person singular: hobnobs.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.