cuddle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
cuddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cuddled,
past participle, past
-
cuddling
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
cuddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cuddled,
past participle, past
-
cuddling
present participle
-
to lie close and snug; nestle.
-
to curl up in going to sleep.
noun
-
cuddles
plural
verb
-
to hold (another person or thing) close or (of two people, etc) to hold each other close, as for affection, comfort, or warmth; embrace; hug
-
to curl or snuggle up into a comfortable or warm position
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
cuddlesimple
-
cuddlessimple
-
have cuddledperfect
-
has cuddledperfect
-
am cuddlingprogressive
-
are cuddlingprogressive
-
is cuddlingprogressive
-
have been cuddlingperfect progressive
-
has been cuddlingperfect progressive
Past
-
cuddledsimple
-
had cuddledperfect
-
was cuddlingprogressive
-
were cuddlingprogressive
-
had been cuddlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cuddle
1510–20; perhaps back formation from Middle English cudliche intimate, affectionate, Old English cūthlīc, or from Middle English cuthlechen, Old English cūthlǣcan to make friends with; see couth 2, -ly
Explanation
To cuddle is to embrace in a loving, affectionate way. If you're having a terrible day, you probably wish you could just go home, get in bed, and cuddle with your cat. Cuddle might come from the Middle English couth, "known" — after all, you only cuddle with those you know. Or, cuddle may have started as baby talk that caught on. When you cuddle, you give a snuggly hug to make yourself or another person feel loved or comforted. As a noun, cuddle describes the time of the embrace, like having one last cuddle before leaving for a long trip.
Vocabulary lists containing cuddle
Love Letter Words for Valentine's Day
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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:
"As long as you don't try to pet him, cuddle him or feed him, Jimothy poses zero public health risk," said the state health department on Threads, external.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“These liddol ones are currently spending quality family time behind the scenes while mom keeps busy with round-the-clock cuddle puddles, grooming and care.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
Some humans want to hurt you, and others want to crowd, cage, and cuddle you—when what you really need is just grass, mud, clean water, and a little space.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
"It was so hard to comfort him, I wanted to cuddle him but it would cause him too much pain," she said.
From BBC ● May 11, 2026
One of the chimps needs a cuddle, so I let him ride on my hip as I make my way around the tent.
From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen
She described how he had changed from being a "polite, funny little boy" who had liked lots of cuddles to one who gets overwhelmed by crowds.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
She cuddles next to me when I’m sick and sits on my chest when I cry.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2025
“Lots of cuddles, silence and hugs,” said Marcovitz.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025
This is all so he can coddle his sulky, wild teenage son while expecting Carrie to limit all extracurricular cuddles to her adopted kitty, Shoe.
From Salon ● May 29, 2025
Woo cuddles up in between us and is rewarded with some head scritches from Autumn.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
He was loved and cuddled and had a lovely night with us.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
A new study -- published in the Human-Animal Interactions journal -- reveals that cows who are cuddled as therapy animals showed a strong preference for interactions with women when compared to men.
From Science Daily ● May 22, 2024
While Keegan and Brian browsed vendor booths, Juliet stayed safely cuddled in her mother’s arms, sporting a T-shirt that read: “Trans Rights are Human Rights.”
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 16, 2023
“They’ll get cuddled and caressed — the cats will be happy,” she said.
From New York Times ● Jun. 20, 2023
I crawled under the sail and cuddled Dri.
From "Adrift" by Paul Griffin
That’s part of the film’s genius, something that was difficult to see 25 years ago, when the most intimate relationship most people had with technology was cuddling up with their TiVo every night.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
In a joint Instagram post with the outlet, the Hallmark co-stars shared tender photos from an intimate shoot of themselves cuddling their baby girl and posing with their dog, Willoughby.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Video from the group captured the tiny cubs crying, feeding and cuddling with their mom, but mostly the family sleeps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
Love is in the air - and apparently the vegetable crates - after a pair of "cuddling carrots" were discovered among the fresh produce donated to a food recycling organisation.
From BBC ● Feb. 14, 2026
I savored the silence, cuddling the sleeping baby in my arms.
From "Amal Unbound" by Aisha Saeed
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.
