Showing results for "cooing"

• present participle of coo.

cooing

American  

[koo-ing] / ˈku ɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or instance of uttering or imitating the soft murmuring sound characteristic of doves.

   Jim recognized the sound as the cooing of a pigeon, although some of us thought it was an owl.

2. the act of murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   I’m no fan of fancy goodies—not for me the cooing over iced Halloween cupcakes topped with fondant pumpkins.

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adjective

1. making the sound characteristic of doves.

   Since February, the lake has come alive again with a few pairs of mallards and a cooing eider duck.

2. murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly.

   Strolling on the boardwalk were cooing couples, briefcase-toting executives, and chattering children with their nannies.

Other Word Forms

• cooingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of cooing

First recorded in 1660–70; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; coo ¹ ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cooing

There were gurgling, cooing, month-and-a-half old newborns in Brooklyn and Westchester who had never known the soul-emptying pain of a crushing Knicks defeat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

“Nah,” I thought, as I watched the cooing baby in my arms.

From Salon ● Dec. 3, 2025

They do it by trying new things, as in the shoegazing “Lucky Stars” and “Spinning,” which has Alana Haim cooing breathily over a shuffling disco beat.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2025

Lipa wonders amid cooing backup vocals, and she goes on to rap, “Another girl falls in love/Another girl leaves the club.”

From New York Times ● May 3, 2024

Pita was making kissy-faces at the donkey and cooing at him.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

• murmur