cuddly
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Adjective Inflected Forms
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 Daniel Tiger would definitely not feel at ease in the real-world forests of India, which are home to about 70 percent of the planet’s tigers.
From New York Times • May 3, 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 have been introduced at a university to help relieve students' stress.
From BBC • Jan. 29, 2022
Cuddly canines are on display in the two-night “2020 American Rescue Dog Show.”
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2020
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.
