cuddle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
cuddles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
cuddled,
past participle, past
-
cuddling
present participle
verb (used without object)
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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
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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
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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
Clover, who is of above-average intelligence and can—not to boast—twirl, kiss, cuddle, speak, “inside speak,” and perform most of the standard pup party tricks, struggled with it even after a week of dedicated training.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 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
Sea lions are thigmotactic, a scientific term for very social creatures who like to cuddle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 26, 2026
You go to live in a big city and have your English there to cuddle you.
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
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
Myle has had no shortage of offers for cuddles and walks and became the unintended star of a recent Lionesses photoshoot, also making an appearance on a podcast.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 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
She cuddles with me and combs my hair with her fingers.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
She said that Jensen-Lee "was a baby who loved being sung to, being cuddled by his mammy and his nanny and bampy."
From BBC ● Feb. 25, 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
But when she reached Pa, he looked at her sorrowfully for a moment, and then took her on his knee and cuddled her against him.
From "Little House in the Big Woods" by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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
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
Despite now being ten years old and away from her family for so long, Bindi is still keen for attention, cuddling up to Jilly and resting on her lap.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2025
Since the elevators can be slow, staff spend a decent amount of time absorbed in the daily rhythms of Claude, who likes cuddling with snapping turtles and holding his own hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2025
He lay down beside Jonn, cuddling close and warming him with his body.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
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.
