caress

[ kuh-res ]

/ kəˈrɛs /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: caress / caressed / caresses / caressing on Thesaurus.com

noun

an act or gesture expressing affection, as an embrace or kiss, especially a light stroking or touching.

a light and gentle touch or stroke, or something that passes lightly over a person or thing: Let the gentle caresses of the music carry your worries away.

verb (used with object)

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR caress

1 pat, fondling, hug.

See synonyms for caress on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”

Question 1 of 7

The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.

affect

effect

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

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

OTHER WORDS FROM caress

ca·ress·a·ble, adjectiveca·ress·er, nounun·ca·ressed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use caress in a sentence

Had one reached out and caressed the other, would that have been an assault?
Why These Marines Love ‘Frozen’—and Why It Matters|Aaron B. O’Connell|June 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He climbed down from the chair and squatting on the floor, took the creature into his arms and caressed her.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was still shaking with sobs when a blonde nurse, whom I shall never forget, sat down beside me and gently caressed my face.
Inside Gaddafi’s Harem: The Story of a Girl’s Abduction|Annick Cojean|August 29, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There was a way that it caressed her body and the pleats hung just so, brushing the tops of her feet like a soft whisper.
My Mother's Last Sari|Madhulika Sikka|May 7, 2010|DAILY BEAST

“If you wanted to make it with somebody, you reached over and caressed their leg,” said Levenson.
The Studio 54 of Sex|Jon Hart|April 7, 2009|DAILY BEAST
He whistled bravely as he crossed the threshold and caressed his wife with his usual tenderness.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 158, April 28, 1920|Various
It held and caressed her body, almost as if it were an affectionate living thing that knew of her present desire.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
The Cat, the little Tyger of our island, whose natural home is the forest, is equally domesticated and caressed.
An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae|Edward Jenner
He was pleasantly tired in mind and body, and the warm homelike room caressed his senses.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
The slanting light lovingly caressed the brow, cheeks, lips, and throat.
Urania|Camille Flammarion

British Dictionary definitions for caress

caress

/ (kəˈrɛs) /

noun

a gentle touch or embrace, esp one given to show affection

verb

(tr) to touch or stroke gently with affection or as with affectionthe wind caressed her face

Derived forms of caress

caresser, nouncaressingly, adverb

Word Origin for caress

C17: from French caresse, from Italian carezza, from Latin cārus dear

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

caress

OTHER WORDS FOR caress

Origin of caress

OTHER WORDS FROM caress

Words related to caress

How to use caress in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for caress

Derived forms of caress

Word Origin for caress