Showing results for "cooing"

• present participle of coo.

cooing

American  

[koo-ing] / ˈku ɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of uttering or imitating the soft murmuring sound characteristic of doves.

   Jim recognized the sound as the cooing of a pigeon, although some of us thought it was an owl.

2. the act of murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   I’m no fan of fancy goodies—not for me the cooing over iced Halloween cupcakes topped with fondant pumpkins.

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adjective

1. making the sound characteristic of doves.

   Since February, the lake has come alive again with a few pairs of mallards and a cooing eider duck.

2. murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   Strolling on the boardwalk were cooing couples, briefcase-toting executives, and chattering children with their nannies.

Other Word Forms

• cooingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cooing

First recorded in 1660–70; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooing

They alternate among softer cooing, silent breakdowns, half-rapped bridges, and multitracked vocals designed to encourage stadium singalongs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026

Instead, I’d laugh, cooing for more lemon to revel in those strong sensations over and over again.

From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2025

You could hear them cooing inside the courtroom as they flipped through children's books.

From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025

One of his favorites is the sound of cooing pigeons — pests to some, but also survivors who’ve adapted to survive on crumbs of kindness.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025

A couple of the Rhode Island Reds are clucking and cooing around her feet.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• murmur