nestle

American  

[nes-uhl] / ˈnɛs əl /

verb (used without object)

nestles, present (3rd person singular) nestled, past participle, past nestling present participle

1. to lie close and snug, like a bird in a nest; snuggle or cuddle.

2. to lie or be located in a sheltered spot; be naturally or pleasantly situated.

   a cottage nestling in a pine grove.

3. Archaic.

   1. to make or have a nest.

   2. to make one's home; settle in a home.

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verb (used with object)

nestles, present (3rd person singular) nestled, past participle, past nestling present participle

1. to settle or ensconce snugly.

   He nestled himself into the hay for a short nap.

2. to put or press confidingly or affectionately.

   She nestled her head on his shoulder.

3. to provide with or settle in a nest, as a bird.

nestle British  

/ ˈnɛsəl /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by up or down) to snuggle, settle, or cuddle closely

2. (intr) to be in a sheltered or protected position; lie snugly

3. (tr) to shelter or place snugly or partly concealed, as in a nest

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nestler
  noun
• unnestled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• nestling
  present
• nestled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• nestle
  simple
• nestles
  simple
• have nestled
  perfect
• has nestled
  perfect
• am nestling
  progressive
• are nestling
  progressive
• is nestling
  progressive
• have been nestling
  perfect progressive
• has been nestling
  perfect progressive

Past

• nestled
  simple
• had nestled
  perfect
• was nestling
  progressive
• were nestling
  progressive
• had been nestling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will nestle
  simple
• will have nestled
  perfect
• will be nestling
  progressive
• will have been nestling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of nestle

before 1000; Middle English nestlen, Old English nestlian, cognate with Dutch nestelen. See nest, -le

Explanation

To nestle into something is to get snug, comfy, and warm in it. You might nestle into your mother’s shoulder, or into a pile of blankets on the couch. People must think that birds live comfortable lives, because they describe really cozy, safe, and comfortable places as nests: places to nestle into. And it’s not just people and birds that nestle. A cottage might be nestled into the crook of a hill, or a mouse nestled into a pile of wood shavings.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nestle nestles nestled nestling

So crank up the Victrola, press play on Spotify and nestle into your headphones.

From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026

“You can nestle under a blanket and watch the storms on the mountains,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026

When he reached 84, he went past Hobbs' Ashes tally of 3,636 to nestle behind Bradman, then went to three figures with a paddle off Bethell for three.

From BBC ● Jan. 6, 2026

Creating collages is almost a compulsion, a way for Jarmusch to escape from the world and nestle into self-reflection.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2025

I nestle myself into the nook of the cool boulders and turn through the pages, impatient to find out what happens next in the story.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

Her shop, Love Stories in Cardiff's characterful Castle Arcade, nestles among a group of other independent businesses.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

It nestles and entangles itself in for the long haul.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

Sometimes that summary nestles within internal stirrings, like the goosebumps produced by the opening chords of Jane’s Addiction’s “Ocean Size” when Sydney Chandler’s Wendy realizes she can speak to the xemomorphs.

From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025

A floating, translucent marble cube, it nestles at the foot of One World Trade Center, just eight stories high, a runt in a herd of mega-tall commercial skyscrapers but impossible to miss.

From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2023

I lie back and put my legs up on the bed, and she nestles into her spot beneath my arm.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

Home to fewer than 200 people and nestled on the edge of Dartmoor, this peaceful valley is reeling with the knowledge that police suspect foul play in the death of the former government minister.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

In the San Jacinto Mountains, another wind phone is nestled inside an old wooden toolbox attached to a tall pine tree in the community of Idyllwild.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

This space also appears to have been used as a game room, with an arcade machine nestled in a small alcove.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 4, 2026

There are no more “wreckers” scouring the beach for treasures or “charity houses” nestled into the dunes to shelter stranded sailors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026

Valley nestled the pod on a particularly thick branch, then scrambled down, jumping the last few toadstools to the ground.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

In the oven, the liquid reduces into something richer, the dumplings nestling into a creamy, deeply savory sauce that edges toward casserole territory.

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

In 2010, Kings of Leon were forced to cut short a performance in St Louis, Missouri, after a flock of pigeons nestling above the stage took a dislike to their act.

From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026

One unexpected finding was that warmer extremes were linked to heavier fledging weights during the nestling stage.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2026

During the summer of 2018, when Stormy was still a nestling, “an adult male intruder showed up to the nest and with great tenacity, refused to leave,” wrote Friends of Big Bear Valley.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026

The village of Bree had some hundred stone houses of the Big Folk, mostly above the Road, nestling on the hillside with windows looking west.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien