baby
Americannoun
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babies
plural
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an infant or very young child.
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a newborn or very young animal.
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the youngest member of a family, group, etc..
I was the baby of the family for ten years, until my twin brothers were born.
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an adult who behaves like a child; an immature, helpless, or fearful person.
Just swallow the medicine—don't be such a baby!
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a human fetus.
The baby hasn’t arrived yet, but the nursery is ready.
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Informal.
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Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. a girl or woman, especially an attractive one.
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a person of whom one is deeply fond; sweetheart.
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(sometimes initial capital letter) an affectionate or familiar address (sometimes offensive when used to strangers, casual acquaintances, subordinates, etc., especially by a male to a female).
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a man or boy; fellow.
He's a tough baby to have to deal with.
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an invention, creation, project, or the like that requires one's special attention or expertise or of which one is especially proud.
His charitable foundation is his baby and it truly shows.
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an object; thing.
Those big babies can carry a lot of cargo.
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adjective
verb (used with object)
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babies,
present (3rd person singular)
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babied,
past participle, past
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babying
present participle
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to treat like a young child; pamper.
She still babies her son although he's nearly 24.
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to handle or use with special care; treat gently.
noun
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a newborn or recently born child; infant
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( as modifier )
baby food
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an unborn child; fetus
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the youngest or smallest of a family or group
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a newborn or recently born animal
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( as modifier )
baby rabbits
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derogatory an immature person
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slang a young woman or sweetheart: often used as a term of address expressing affection
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a project of personal concern
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to be left with the responsibility
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to lose the essential element by indiscriminate rejection
adjective
verb
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to treat with love and attention
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to treat (someone) like a baby; pamper or overprotect
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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babysimple
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babiessimple
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have babiedperfect
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has babiedperfect
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am babyingprogressive
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are babyingprogressive
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is babyingprogressive
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have been babyingperfect progressive
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has been babyingperfect progressive
Past
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babiedsimple
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had babiedperfect
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was babyingprogressive
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were babyingprogressive
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had been babyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of baby
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at babe, -y 2
Explanation
A baby is the one wearing diapers and a pacifier in her mouth. That baby is so darn lovable, however, that the word is perhaps overused to describe anyone or anything you feel passionately about. Everybody loves the baby, so much so that you might call your girlfriend 'baby' even though she's 23. If you work in construction, you might call any woman with nice legs baby as she walks past. You also might snidely call your little brother baby when he cries about getting a ball thrown in his face. When your mother has to take him to the ER for stitches after said wounding, you might defensively say "She's just babying him, he's fine."
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:
CEO Michael Fiddelke, who took the helm in February, credited new product mixes and store updates in baby, toy and health departments, though he warned results might not remain so punchy in the new quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
"I've heard of people feeling the need to steal baby milk," she said.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
He got his first name from the woman who delivered him as a baby while his mother was in labor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Moorside Baby Bank opened in February 2025 and has so far helped 226 families with goods like clothes, nappies and baby wipes, which were mainly donated by the community.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
The baby grouse—and there isn’t anything cuter than a grouse chick—bonded with Hawk and thought she was their mother.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Infant formula is designed to provide the correct balance of nutrients for babies when mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed, and adding extra water alters that balance.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
More than 120,000 babies around the world acquire HIV each year.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
Economic pressures and changing social norms are driving couples in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria to have fewer babies, with a recent study saying Maghreb fertility was at a historic low.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
In December 2025, Lara Trump said on Fox News, “We’re going to be in a pickle if we don’t get more babies coming.”
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026
“You are so wonderfully strong, Mrs. Penworthy! I expect it’s from so many years of carrying babies around.”
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
“You got babied, that’s why you ain’t win,” O’Neal told Barkley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2024
But perhaps most memorable, especially for anyone who has ever babied, basted and otherwise fussed over a 14-pound bird, is the season four episode “Turkey in a Can.”
From Salon ● Nov. 11, 2023
It also doesn’t include fellow all-star Tony Gonsolin because the Los Angeles Dodgers have so babied his development that he doesn’t have a 20-start season yet.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 13, 2022
In bitter January temperatures, that range fell closer to 225 miles, no matter how I babied the throttle or dialed back on cabin temps.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2022
She babied him, ignored him, teased him—did anything she felt like, and he was grateful just to see her do anything or be any way.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
O’Neal objected quickly and loudly, telling Barkley to “stop babying these players.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2024
“Committing to throwing it, not really babying it. Not trying to shape it, just throwing it, and trusting how its going to come out.”
From Washington Times ● Jun. 17, 2023
Choosing climate-adapted plants also means you’ll save on your water bill, as well as time spent babying or replacing plants.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2022
But breaking the habit of babying your puppy will prep it for being touched by other people in different situations.
From Fox News ● Mar. 23, 2022
“Oh, stop babying him. He's nearly an adult.”
From "Tradition" by Brendan Kiely
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.
