- present participle of fondle.
fondling
Americannoun
-
the act of caressing or touching lovingly or tenderly.
A few of us knitting enthusiasts met yesterday at Yarn Barn for a couple of hours of browsing, yarn fondling, and coffee.
-
the act of molesting someone sexually by touching or caressing.
The inappropriate groping and fondling from a trusted adult male figure—her mother’s boyfriend—traumatized her.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of fondling
First recorded in 1580–90; fondl(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun senses; fondl(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective sense
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.
Jewelry is a recurring totem across her work, with characters fondling rings, bracelets, necklaces.
From New York Times ● Oct. 2, 2018
Two posts later, she’s fondling ill falcons and owls at a Saudi veterinary hospital.
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2018
Ivory doesn't have much success in filling in the elisions, but Guadagnino's direction compounds the superficiality with camerawork that can't resist fondling every surface it encounters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2018
The song titles – Choirs of Winter, Haze Interior, Cascades – are almost shoegaze parodying, but it's not all formless FX pedal fondling.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 31, 2010
I have an irrational and totally unlike-me urge to thank that security guard—Irene—but she’s a few feet away and busy fondling someone else’s stuff.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
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.
