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:
But a 5-year-old can’t cuddle a compound-interest chart.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
“People need to be respectful. If the cats want to cuddle, cuddle them. If they want to play, play with them. Just get to know them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 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
I lead him back to bed, cuddle up beside him.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
I want to run to Bo for one last cuddle, but I know I can’t.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
"They've had so many cuddles from everybody," she said.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
“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
"She basically just ran into my arms and just snuggled up in here and just did the biggest cuddles of all time," she was quoted as saying by the AP news agency on Wednesday.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2025
Zola scoots onto the bed and cuddles Rosetta.
From "The Unfinished Angel" by Sharon Creech
Louis would sleep cuddled up to a rugby ball.
From BBC ● May 22, 2025
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
Rahena pulled her daughter into her lap and cuddled her.
From Seattle Times ● May 7, 2024
Parker nodded toward the second-story window, where they could see Hazel and Sophie cuddled up with the nanny.
From Slate ● Mar. 25, 2023
Mrs. Monroe picked Chester up and cuddled him.
From "Bunnicula" by Deborah Howe and James Howe
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
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
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
An animated Trump lovingly cuddling the Paramount logo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2025
He lay down beside Jonn, cuddling close and warming him with his body.
From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
