cuddly
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of cuddly
Explanation
Something (or someone) that's soft, snuggly, and huggable is cuddly. Your pet rabbit is so cuddly that you wish you could bring her to school, so you'd be able to hold and hug her all day long. Some people are naturally cuddly, either because they love to hug you, or because they're particularly plump and comfortable. The same is true for animals and dolls — there are some things that seem to be made for cuddling. Cuddly comes from the adorable word cuddle, which probably stems from the obsolete verb cull, "to embrace," or possibly the Middle English couth, "known" or "comfortable with."
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.
Cuddly toys and balloons are next to the hand-written messages that people have placed in remembrance of the two-year-old girl.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2024
According to Deadline, the theme for the upcoming season is comically "The Good, The Bad and The Cuddly."
From Salon • Feb. 3, 2022
Cuddly canines are on display in the two-night “2020 American Rescue Dog Show.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2020
Cuddly campaigns have turned shoemakers such as Adidas against kangaroo leather and sapped foreign appetite for the meat.
From Economist • Mar. 15, 2018
I filled it with your favorite things: Cuddly the koala and your old, ripped script from My Fair Lady.
From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy
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.
