fondling

[fond-ling, fon-dl-ing]

noun

1. the act of caressing or touching lovingly or tenderly.

   A few of us knitting enthusiasts met yesterday at Yarn Barn for a couple of hours of browsing, yarn fondling, and coffee.

2. the act of molesting someone sexually by touching or caressing.

   The inappropriate groping and fondling from a trusted adult male figure—her mother’s boyfriend—traumatized her.

adjective

1. touching or caressing in either of these ways.

   She stroked him with gentle, fondling fingers.

Other Word Forms

• fondlingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of fondling¹

First recorded in 1580–90; fondl(e) ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; fondl(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective sense

Example Sentences

Not only is it awful when Biff jams his meaty hands up Lorraine’s petticoat, but who the heck is that other dweeb fondling her on the Enchantment Under the Sea dance floor?

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A lot of the fan art used to be them kissing and fondling each other in Nandor’s room.

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"Then it moved on to general sexual assault – like hands down sweaters, fondling, kissing – and culminated in extreme sexual violence."

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It published a photo that showed a young girl, naked to the waist, pressed between two men who were fondling her breasts.

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Jones accused Gooding of fondling his “legs, upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks, and his shoulders,” which made the producer “extremely uncomfortable.”

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Related Words

• extravagance 
• kindness 
• leniency 
• permissiveness 
• privilege