cuddle
/ˈkʌd(ə)l
/verb [with object]
1Hold close in one’s arms as a way of showing love or affection: he cuddles the baby close they were cuddling each other in the back seat [no object]: the pair have been spotted kissing and cuddling...
- The youngest, a girl, will be the most spoiled, for she will be the final baby and will be cuddled and loved.
- I cuddle my baby and close my eyes, marking a moment of grace.
- And she's always loved to be cuddled and nursed and made a fuss of by her parents.
Synonyms
hug, embrace, clasp, hold tight, hold in one's arms, fold in one's arms
embrace, hug, caress, pet, fondle
informal canoodle, smooch
informal, dated spoon, bill and coo
snuggle, nestle, curl, nuzzle, lie close;
burrow against, huddle against;
North American snug down
1.1 [no object, with adverbial] Lie or sit close: Rebecca cuddled up to Mum they cuddled together to keep out the cold...
- Here, in a different hemisphere, the acrid smell of firework smoke makes me think of cold nights, short days, cuddling up inside next to the heater.
- Nothing is cozier than cuddling up in front of a fire with some popcorn.
- The setting is conducive to cuddling up in the soft cushions and really making yourself at home.
1.2 [no object] (cuddle up to) informal Ingratiate oneself with: they start cuddling up to the Liberals for support...
- The Maharishi Foundation is the outfit that seeks to promote Transcendental Meditation, the practice once associated with the hairy old Indian guru that the Beatles cuddled up to in the 1960s.
- Nestlé's attempt to cuddle up to cat lovers goes hand in hand with its attempts to appear as an ethically driven company in other areas.
- I don't think the British Government will do this because the British Government are cuddling up to Sinn Fein.
noun
A prolonged and affectionate hug: he just wanted a comforting kiss and a cuddle...
- Actually, what she means is that she thinks I'm a sucker for a prolonged cuddle in my dozy state.
- She is inclined to wrap her flippers around their legs and give them an affectionate cuddle.
- I remember her cuddles and kisses when I was a child run down with typhoid fever, while telling me over and over, ‘Mother loves you.’
Synonyms
hug, embrace, bear hug
Origin
Early 16th century (rare before the 18th century): of unknown origin.