fondling

American  

[fond-ling, fon-dl-ing] / ˈfɒnd lɪŋ, ˈfɒn dl ɪŋ /

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.

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adjective

1. touching or caressing in either of these ways.

   She stroked him with gentle, fondling fingers.

Other Word Forms

• fondlingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of fondling

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

Those who worried she couldn’t top 2017’s icy wonderland of lifeless foliage can breathe easily now that we’ve been graced with the image of Trump fondling ornaments with arms characteristically unmoored from her sleeves:

From Slate • Nov. 26, 2018

Ivory doesn't have much success in filling in the elisions, but Guadagnino's direction compounds the superficiality with camerawork that can't resist fondling every surface it encounters.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2018

This has been going on forever – certainly since Ovid wrote of Pygmalion kissing and fondling his statue until the gods took pity.

From The Guardian • Jul. 29, 2017

I would sit in the car, beatifically chewing, fondling a Hamburglar toy or cheap movie tie-in that had come with the food.

From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2016

As Miss Lavinia was scolding one sister for a clumsy servant, she was fondling the flying, soft yellow hair of the other.

From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes

Related Words

• extravagance
• kindness
• leniency
• permissiveness
• privilege