caress
Americannoun
-
caresses
plural
verb (used with object)
-
caresses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
caressed,
past participle, past
-
caressing
present participle
-
to touch, pat, or stroke gently to show affection.
-
to touch or seem to touch lightly.
The breeze caressed the trees.
-
to treat with favor, kindness, etc.
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
caresssimple
-
caressessimple
-
have caressedperfect
-
has caressedperfect
-
am caressingprogressive
-
are caressingprogressive
-
is caressingprogressive
-
have been caressingperfect progressive
-
has been caressingperfect progressive
Past
-
caressedsimple
-
had caressedperfect
-
was caressingprogressive
-
were caressingprogressive
-
had been caressingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of caress
First recorded in 1605–15; from French caresse, from Italian carezza, from unattested Vulgar Latin caritia, equivalent to Latin cār(us) “dear” + -itia suffix of abstract nouns; cf. charity
Explanation
To caress someone or something means to stroke it gently in a loving or affectionate manner. Don't you love to caress the soft fur of your pet hamster or cat? The word caress can be either a verb or a noun, both of which refer primarily to the affectionate petting or stroking of another. You can also use caress to mean any sort of kind or loving action, and it can be accomplished by things other than people. The soft wind can caress your skin as you walk towards the ocean’s edge. And who doesn't love the caress of smooth silk sheets against your skin when you get into bed?!
Vocabulary lists containing caress
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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The Secret Life of Bees
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"The Moustache" and "Who We Really Are"
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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:
Instead of the full-throated, Pavarotti-style belt that’s common in this repertoire, Mr. Pati makes a familiar song like “O sole mio” as gentle as a caress.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2025
The boy and the mom are beloved, but it’s their own face that each is shown to caress.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2024
Longley said: "The first thing you notice here is the silence, and the caress of the sea air."
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2024
“I, too, need Jesus to caress me,” Francis said.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2023
But her face softens, and she touches Marcus’s arm again, this time with a light caress.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
In Ain Ebel's cemetery, Jallad caresses her son's tombstone, surrounded by women trying to comfort her.
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
We see Ella Fitzgerald at New York’s Basin Street East in the mid-1950s; her eyes closed, she gently leans into a microphone that she caresses with both hands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025
She picks up a doll with red hair and caresses it gently.
From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2023
Some of his touches seem less functional and more like affectionate caresses for beloved pets, and a fond smile plays around his lips.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2023
My mother’s tender caresses and my father’s smile of benevolent pleasure while regarding me are my first recollections.
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
Beside her, occasionally caressed by the women, stood eight-year-old Mustafa, his expression as fragile as glass.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
Two girls, their faces streaked with tears, gently caressed the face of a dead man, wrapped in a sheet with a floral motif, and then hugged each other tightly.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2025
The reunion ended up going viral for a whole ’nother reason after the “Saturday Night Fever” star caressed and cupped Menzel’s face.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 4, 2024
“They’ll get cuddled and caressed — the cats will be happy,” she said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 20, 2023
Carmen caressed the small hud and stood back to admire it.
From "The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora" by Pablo Cartaya
Europa, the king’s daughter, becomes enamored of the creature, entwining his horns with flowers and caressing him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
The couple posed for photos at the event, drawing attention to their gestating bundle of joy by framing and caressing Palvin’s belly.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2026
Jareth is an illusionist as beguiling and seductive as he is sinister, caressing bubbles and gravity-defiant glass spheres with liquid grace.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2026
With the cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, he shows them off beautifully, caressing them in light so that they look lit from within.
From New York Times ● Apr. 25, 2024
“No thanks, patron” Transito replied, caressing her snake with a lacquered fingernail.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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.
