Synonyms

caressing

American

[kuh-res-ing] / kəˈrɛs ɪŋ /

adjective

gently touching, patting, or stroking a person or thing to show affection.

She stroked my face—temple, cheek, chin, and then up the other side in a caressing, sweeping gesture.
touching or seeming to touch a person or thing lightly and in a way that calms or soothes.

Over and over again, I repeated the figures until they became a caressing swash of sound inside my head and hummed me finally to sleep.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of caressing

caress ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

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.

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

I even ponied up for a pay-per-view a few years back to see Mayweather spend eight rounds gently caressing Jake’s overmatched older brother, Logan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 26, 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

The video, which was partly recorded inside the prison, shows him caressing a fighting cockerel and freely chatting to fellow inmates.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2025

Yishan took the Paper from Pinmei, his hands caressing it in an almost loving gesture.

From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023