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to caress

to caress

55 3.4
To touch someone or something gently to show love
  • verb
  • /kəˈrɛs/
translation icon : acariciar
  • For a moment, she struggled with an urge to reach down and caress his cheek.
  • caress each other
  • kiss and caress
  • caress her breast

Use your fingertips or the back of your hand to caress skin lightly.

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Examples

  • And there was Georgia, caressing him with her smiles and tender glances.

  • - You must go and caress the dog.

  • Why did you feel the need to caress the nape of her back?

  • Use your fingertips or the back of your hand to caress skin lightly.

  • Her long fingers touched a Ming vase on a side table, caressing its beauty, its faded colors.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Now it is Gentry who sleeps as Adrienne studies him, gently caressing his brow.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Meredydd stretched forth a hand to caress the satiny wood, running astonished fingers from prow to sternpost.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • She gently caressed the kitten, making it purr with contentment.

  • As he read to her, he caressed her hair softly, creating a soothing atmosphere.

  • The mother caressed her child's cheek, conveying her love and affection.

Synonyms

to pat
vsto caress
110 1.0

To touch gently to show comfort or approval

involves longer, more tender loving touch rather than brief taps
to pet
vsto caress
54 1.0

To stroke an animal gently to show affection

is broader loving touch, not limited to simple hand touch
to kiss
vsto caress
  • Literature
50 7.5

To touch something gently in a pleasing way, like a breeze or sunlight

expresses direct loving touch rather than a poetic or figurative image
stroke
vsto caress
12 2.5

A gentle touch or caress with the hand

focuses on affection rather than only the physical hand movement
to nuzzle
vsto caress
11 3.4

To gently press the nose or face against someone to show affection

uses hand-based loving touch rather than face or nose contact
to canoodle
vsto caress
  • Archaic
5 9.1

Kiss and hold someone in a playful or loving way

focuses on a single gentle loving touch rather than playfulness
to scritch
vsto caress
  • Informal
8.8

To gently rub an animal's fur to make it feel good

is a tender loving touch for people rather than animal scratching

Antonyms

1.0

To strike someone or something with force

31 2.7

A quick strong push that moves someone or something

How Affectionate

to fondle
  • NSFW
41 7.4
to caress
55 3.4
to touch
1.0
to pat
110 1.0
tap
66 1.0

Surface Forms

caress infinitive
caressed past
caressed past participle
caressing present participle
caresses third person singular

Etymology

Caress comes from Old French caresser and the Latin carus 'dear', the same idea behind the word cherish. So to caress is to touch or stroke someone gently to show they are 'dear' to you.