cuddly
Americanadjective
-
cuddlier,
comparative
-
cuddliest
superlative
Other Word Forms
Adjective Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cuddly
Explanation
Something (or someone) that's soft, snuggly, and huggable is cuddly. Your pet rabbit is so cuddly that you wish you could bring her to school, so you'd be able to hold and hug her all day long. Some people are naturally cuddly, either because they love to hug you, or because they're particularly plump and comfortable. The same is true for animals and dolls — there are some things that seem to be made for cuddling. Cuddly comes from the adorable word cuddle, which probably stems from the obsolete verb cull, "to embrace," or possibly the Middle English couth, "known" or "comfortable with."
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:
These little fellas represent a departure from all of that: cuddly digital pals whose highest calling is to help you reclaim some of your time.
From Slate ● Oct. 14, 2026
In China, AI companies have already had success using cuddly companions to attract users to their products.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026
The real attraction here is the sisterly camaraderie, the wacky family traditions like “midnight margaritas,” and the cuddly allure of all things feminine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“She was a bright, cuddly, sparkly person,” Leffler said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
On-screen, Elizabeth Bennet and her older sister, Jane, give each other cuddly compliments.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
Today’s Bush is a cuddlier figure, who, we are told, likes to putter around his art studio, painting pictures of dogs and American flags.
From New York Times ● Jun. 8, 2022
If you really want a sandwich, I’d turn your attention to two other options, the Nashville and its cuddlier cousin, the Atlanta.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 27, 2021
That’s masterful marketing by the Flyers, though it’s still tempting to believe they’ll proclaim the whole thing a joke at some point and introduce a cuddlier mascot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2018
If Charlotte is indeed trying to position herself as Ivanka lite, using a rabbit to make that image cuddlier might just be a canny strategy.
From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2018
Elsie was sweet as honey and cuddlier than a kitten.
From Bloom of Cactus by Ralph P. (Ralph Pallen) Coleman
So that’s the mechanism that could explain a precipitous drop in how long your cuddliest family member could live.
From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2023
"She's not the cuddliest person in the world, but it's just a different show now and she's making it her own," the programme's maths guru Rachel Riley told Lorraine recently.
From BBC ● Dec. 3, 2021
Mostly, though, the former Beatle was providing the kind of inoffensive good vibes that have made him perhaps rock’s cuddliest superstar over the last half-century.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2016
They would have made for great pop novelty smashes in the 1990s — no insult — but now just make Breathe Carolina the cuddliest of the Warped Tour class.
From New York Times ● Sep. 3, 2011
This might seem uncharitable, but Father Solomon's disgust is not without merit; if you're going to be terrorized into constantly sacrificing your cuddliest livestock, shouldn't you have some grasp of the beast's schedule?
From Time ● Mar. 11, 2011
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
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.
