cooing

American  

[koo-ing] / ˈku ɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of uttering or imitating the soft murmuring sound characteristic of doves.

   Jim recognized the sound as the cooing of a pigeon, although some of us thought it was an owl.

2. the act of murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   I’m no fan of fancy goodies—not for me the cooing over iced Halloween cupcakes topped with fondant pumpkins.

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adjective

1. making the sound characteristic of doves.

   Since February, the lake has come alive again with a few pairs of mallards and a cooing eider duck.

2. murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   Strolling on the boardwalk were cooing couples, briefcase-toting executives, and chattering children with their nannies.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cooingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cooing

First recorded in 1660–70; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

There were gurgling, cooing, month-and-a-half old newborns in Brooklyn and Westchester who had never known the soul-emptying pain of a crushing Knicks defeat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

“Nah,” I thought, as I watched the cooing baby in my arms.

From Salon • Dec. 3, 2025

“They do know when someone someone’s ill, right?” he said to no one before scratching Penny’s tummy and cooing, “You know I’m ill, right? I’m ill!”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 25, 2025

Otis even gets a starring role, cooing along playfully to an improvised piano solo called Interlude II.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2024

Ernie ripped the toy from Samantha, then dropped down to his knees, cooing at the dog as if it were a baby.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

Related Words

• murmur