Showing results for "cooing"

• present participle of coo.

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

• cooingly
  adverb

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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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooing

A furry AI pet batted its eyelashes at cooing onlookers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

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

From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2025

"You have to think a lot before having a baby," Valentina Dottor admits when we meet on Fregona's main square, her 10-month-old daughter Diletta cooing in a pushchair.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2025

McVay making faces and cooing baby talk on a video call.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2024

The adults remained talking on the dock, circling politely around Ed, cooing over baby Will.

From "We Were Liars" by E. Lockhart

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Related Words

• murmur

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