caress

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ca·ress

(kə-rĕs′)

A gentle touch or gesture of fondness, tenderness, or love.

tr.v. ca·ressed, ca·ress·ing, ca·ress·es

1. To touch or stroke in an affectionate or loving manner.

2. To touch or move as if with a caress: soft music that caressed the ears.

[French caresse, from Italian carezza, from caro, dear, from Latin cārus; see kā- in Indo-European roots.]

ca·ress′er n.

ca·ress′ing·ly adv.

ca·res′sive adj.

Synonyms: caress, cuddle, fondle, pat¹, pet¹, stroke²
These verbs mean to touch or handle affectionately: caressed the sleeping baby; cuddled the kitten in her arms; fondling the dog's ears; patted the child's head; petting his pony; gently stroked the patient's hand.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

caress

(kəˈrɛs)

a gentle touch or embrace, esp one given to show affection

(tr) to touch or stroke gently with affection or as with affection: the wind caressed her face.

[C17: from French caresse, from Italian carezza, from Latin cārus dear]

caˈresser n

caˈressingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ca•ress

(kəˈrɛs)

n.

1. a light stroking gesture expressing affection.

v.t.

2. to touch or stroke lightly in or as if in affection.

3. to treat with favor or kindness.

[1605–15; < French caresse < Italian carezza < Latin cār(us) dear]

ca•ress′a•ble, adj.

ca•ress′er, n.

ca•ress′ing•ly, adv.

ca•ress′ive, adj.

caress

Past participle: caressed
Gerund: caressing

Imperative
caress
caress

Present
I caress
you caress
he/she/it caresses
we caress
you caress
they caress

Preterite
I caressed
you caressed
he/she/it caressed
we caressed
you caressed
they caressed

Present Continuous
I am caressing
you are caressing
he/she/it is caressing
we are caressing
you are caressing
they are caressing

Present Perfect
I have caressed
you have caressed
he/she/it has caressed
we have caressed
you have caressed
they have caressed

Past Continuous
I was caressing
you were caressing
he/she/it was caressing
we were caressing
you were caressing
they were caressing

Past Perfect
I had caressed
you had caressed
he/she/it had caressed
we had caressed
you had caressed
they had caressed

Future
I will caress
you will caress
he/she/it will caress
we will caress
you will caress
they will caress

Future Perfect
I will have caressed
you will have caressed
he/she/it will have caressed
we will have caressed
you will have caressed
they will have caressed

Future Continuous
I will be caressing
you will be caressing
he/she/it will be caressing
we will be caressing
you will be caressing
they will be caressing

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been caressing
you have been caressing
he/she/it has been caressing
we have been caressing
you have been caressing
they have been caressing

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been caressing
you will have been caressing
he/she/it will have been caressing
we will have been caressing
you will have been caressing
they will have been caressing

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been caressing
you had been caressing
he/she/it had been caressing
we had been caressing
you had been caressing
they had been caressing

Conditional
I would caress
you would caress
he/she/it would caress
we would caress
you would caress
they would caress

Past Conditional
I would have caressed
you would have caressed
he/she/it would have caressed
we would have caressed
you would have caressed
they would have caressed

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	caress - a gentle affectionate stroking (or something resembling it); "he showered her with caresses"; "soft music was a fond caress"; "the caresses of the breeze played over his face" stroking, stroke - a light touch with the hands
Verb	1.	caress - touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner; "He caressed her face"; "They fondled in the back seat of the taxi" fondle paw - touch clumsily; "The man tried to paw her" grope - fondle for sexual pleasure; "He made some sexual advances at the woman in his office and groped her repeatedly" dandle - pet; "the grandfather dandled the small child" stroke - touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions; "He stroked his long beard" pet - stroke or caress in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking pat, chuck - pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin nuzzle, nose - rub noses pet - stroke or caress gently; "pet the lamb" tickle - touch or stroke lightly; "The grass tickled her calves"

caress

verb

1. stroke, cuddle, fondle, pet, embrace, hug, nuzzle, neck (informal), kiss They kissed and caressed one another.

noun

1. stroke, pat, kiss, embrace, hug, cuddle, fondling Margaret held my arm in a gentle caress.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

caress

verb

To touch or stroke affectionately:

cuddle, fondle, pat, pet.

Translations

مُلاطَفَه، تَدْليل، تَحَبُّب

hladitpohlazení

aeaenstrygestrygen

liebkosen Liebkosung

χάδι χαϊδεύω

acariciar apapacho caricia

caresse caresser

ástaratlotgæla viî, strjúka

accarezzare carezza gesto affettuoso

glamonėglostytipaglostyti

glāstītglāsts

hladiťpohladiť

caress

[kəˈres]

A. N → caricia f

B. VT → acariciar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

caress

[kəˈrɛs]

n → caresse f

vt → caresser

caress

n → Liebkosung f, → Zärtlichkeit f usu pl, → Streicheln nt no pl

vt → streicheln, liebkosen

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

caress

[kəˈrɛs]

1. n → carezza

2. vt → carezzare, accarezzare

caress

(kəˈres) verb

to touch gently and lovingly. She caressed the horse's neck.

noun

an act of touching in this way. a loving caress.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

The Rue des Lombards had its share of the caresses of Aurora with the rosy fingers, and D'Artagnan arose like Aurora.

View in context

In the course of their fraternal caresses, the Crows had contrived to empty the pockets of their white brothers; to abstract the very buttons from their coats, and, above all, to make free with their hunting knives.

Soothed, however, by caresses, he began after a time to gather confidence and wag his tail, and at length was brought to follow close at the heels of his captors, still, however, darting around furtive and suspicious glances, and evincing a disposition to scamper off upon the least alarm.

Captain Bonneville and his men, however, were by no means disposed to renew their confiding intimacy with these crafty savages, and above all, took care to avoid their pilfering caresses. They remarked one precaution of the Crows with respect to their horses; to protect their hoofs from the sharp and jagged rocks among which they had to pass, they had covered them with shoes of buffalo hide.

View in context

I continued my caresses, and, when I prepared to go home, the animal evinced a disposition to accompany me.

Whenever I sat, it would crouch beneath my chair, or spring upon my knees, covering me with its loathsome caresses. If I arose to walk it would get between my feet and thus nearly throw me down, or, fastening its long and sharp claws in my dress, clamber, in this manner, to my breast.

View in context

The world as he saw it was a fierce and brutal world, a world without warmth, a world in which caresses and affection and the bright sweetnesses of the spirit did not exist.

View in context

In a twinkling she was by his side, brimful of news and pleasure, too glad to notice his embarrassment, and in one of those golden transports of exultation which transcend not only words but caresses. She took him by the end of the fingers (reaching forward to take them, for her great preoccupation was to save time), she drew him towards her, pushed him past her in the door, and planted him face to face with Mr.

View in context

He no sooner fixed his mind on the probable consequences of giving way to the emotions which had stolen over him to-day--of continuing to notice Hetty, of allowing himself any opportunity for such slight caresses as he had been betrayed into already--than he refused to believe such a future possible for himself.

View in context

Although Touched isn't exactly breaking new ground in the genre, it caresses all the right nerve endings.

Touched; The Caress of Fate

Washington, Oct 18 (ANI): While humans enjoy sensual caresses, their brains react just as strongly to seeing another person being caressed, according to new research.

Brains enjoy sensual caresses too

As the spring breeze caresses the flowers, they seem to come to life, dance and spin--like graceful ballerinas.