Part of speech:

Noun, the countable kind: "The second book was a bit of a squib." "A character collapses in a riot of exploding squibs (New York Times)."

Other forms: 

Besides the plural noun, "squibs," none of the other forms are common. Let's explore them anyway. They're fun.

"Squib" can be a verb, too, meaning "to create witty, sarcastic pieces of writing." The other forms are "squibbed" and "squibbing."

You could describe things or people as "squibbish."

And you can label a person who fires off squibs a "squibster."

You can describe the act or process of writing bits of silly satire as "squibbery."

If you're talking about particularly short pieces of satire, you can call them "squiblets" or "squiblings." (Really! I know it sounds like I made those up. Someone did, and now those words really do appear in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Although "squib" has several definitions, let's focus on the most common one. 

Pick the rare, quirky little word "squib" when you want to say that something is silly, useless, and unimpressive, like a firecracker that doesn't go off.

You might say that some show, movie, event, performance, or other creation turns out to be a squib. For extra color, say that it turns out to be "a damp squib." Tsss.

examples:

"She was smiling happily, squealing with delight as a squib spluttered at her feet."
— Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca, 1938

"In 1704 Jonathan Swift published a little satire entitled The Battle of the Books. It described a war between books in a library, a war between the Ancients and the Moderns. Swift had written this squib by 1697, and by the time it appeared the conflict it satirized appeared to be over."
— David Wootton, The Invention of Science, 2015

"[In an episode of Dr. Who], the Mummy reveal ended up a little bit of a squib after all the build-up."
— Dan Martin, The Guardian, 6 April 2013

has this page helped you understand "squib"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "squib" without saying "dud" or "something that falls flat."

try it out:

For extra emphasis, and a laugh, call something underwhelming "a damp squib."

Check out these examples:

"Everybody knows that a band's second album is likely to be 'a bit of a damp squib,' and movie sequels are generally terrible."
— Andrew O'Hehir, Salon, 14 August 2014

" [A much-anticipated statement from the government] was, instead, the dampest of damp squibs, published after quite the bust-up behind closed doors."
— Chris Mason and Nick Eardley, BBC, 3 May 2023

With those examples in mind, talk about an idea, a project, an event, or an experience of your own that turned out to be a damp squib.

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "That’s What They Said."

Consider a quote from The Office, and decide which of three given terms you can most easily connect it to. You can see my suggested answer by scrolling to the bottom of the issue. But yours doesn’t need to match mine. 

For example, if I give you this:

Kelly: "I talk a lot, so I've learned to just tune myself out." Abstemious, garrulous, or ominous?

Then you might answer, "Garrulous, because Kelly talks on and on."

Try this one today:

Dwight: "I am faster than 80 percent of all snakes." Officious, perspicacious, or braggadocio?

review this word:

1. Opposites of SQUIB include

A. DRYNESS and DEHYDRATION.
B. SENSATION and FLYING COLORS.
C. FRESH START and TABULA RASA.

2. William Logan described Leonard Cohen's poems as "squibs:" basically "_____" before transforming into songs.

A. worthless
B. political stunts
C. diamonds in the rough

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. A Suggested answer to the game question: I'd go with braggadocio, because Dwight is boasting. Weird flex, Dwight.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.