cuddle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
cuddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cuddled,
past participle, past
-
cuddling
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
cuddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cuddled,
past participle, past
-
cuddling
present participle
-
to lie close and snug; nestle.
-
to curl up in going to sleep.
noun
-
cuddles
plural
verb
-
to hold (another person or thing) close or (of two people, etc) to hold each other close, as for affection, comfort, or warmth; embrace; hug
-
to curl or snuggle up into a comfortable or warm position
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cuddlesimple
-
cuddlessimple
-
have cuddledperfect
-
has cuddledperfect
-
am cuddlingprogressive
-
are cuddlingprogressive
-
is cuddlingprogressive
-
have been cuddlingperfect progressive
-
has been cuddlingperfect progressive
Past
-
cuddledsimple
-
had cuddledperfect
-
was cuddlingprogressive
-
were cuddlingprogressive
-
had been cuddlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cuddle
1510–20; perhaps back formation from Middle English cudliche intimate, affectionate, Old English cūthlīc, or from Middle English cuthlechen, Old English cūthlǣcan to make friends with; see couth 2, -ly
Explanation
To cuddle is to embrace in a loving, affectionate way. If you're having a terrible day, you probably wish you could just go home, get in bed, and cuddle with your cat. Cuddle might come from the Middle English couth, "known" — after all, you only cuddle with those you know. Or, cuddle may have started as baby talk that caught on. When you cuddle, you give a snuggly hug to make yourself or another person feel loved or comforted. As a noun, cuddle describes the time of the embrace, like having one last cuddle before leaving for a long trip.
Vocabulary lists containing cuddle
Love Letter Words for Valentine's Day
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“People need to be respectful. If the cats want to cuddle, cuddle them. If they want to play, play with them. Just get to know them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Clover, who is of above-average intelligence and can—not to boast—twirl, kiss, cuddle, speak, “inside speak,” and perform most of the standard pup party tricks, struggled with it even after a week of dedicated training.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
Dudamel joins him with his music box, and, sheepishly trying not to look embarrassed, they cutely cuddle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Sea lions are thigmotactic, a scientific term for very social creatures who like to cuddle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
The boys come in and cuddle with me, one on either side.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
She described how he had changed from being a "polite, funny little boy" who had liked lots of cuddles to one who gets overwhelmed by crowds.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
She cuddles next to me when I’m sick and sits on my chest when I cry.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2025
“Lots of cuddles, silence and hugs,” said Marcovitz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025
Myle has had no shortage of offers for cuddles and walks and became the unintended star of a recent Lionesses photoshoot, also making an appearance on a podcast.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
Luna’s grandmother used to be bulbous and squat—all soft hugs and squishy cuddles.
From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill
He was loved and cuddled and had a lovely night with us.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
A new study -- published in the Human-Animal Interactions journal -- reveals that cows who are cuddled as therapy animals showed a strong preference for interactions with women when compared to men.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024
Mayerlin Bracamontes cuddled and played with her 5-month-old daughter as she waited for a train.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2023
Parker nodded toward the second-story window, where they could see Hazel and Sophie cuddled up with the nanny.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2023
It lulled Taisin into an uneasy sleep of her own, cuddled next to her little sister.
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
A video posted by a Tamil film star showing him cuddling an endangered gibbon has triggered an investigation by Indian wildlife officials over how he came into contact with the animal.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
That’s part of the film’s genius, something that was difficult to see 25 years ago, when the most intimate relationship most people had with technology was cuddling up with their TiVo every night.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
Here, the couple spent lots of time standing in for BK’s family, cuddling, grooming and wrestling with him, and tending to his emotional needs as well.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
The other day, Ailed sat in a stairwell of the new home in Miahuatlán, cuddling her son.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2025
He should be selfish and trying to escape, not cuddling up to me.
From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
