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🌲 To be hidden 🛏️ To snuggle
to nestle

to nestle

13 3.6
Move into a small comfortable place to feel warm and safe
  • verb
  • /ˈnɛsəl/
: acurrucarse en
  • After a long day, I nestle into my warm blanket on the couch.

I get in bed every night and I I Nestle in.

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Examples

  • She nestled under the covers, feeling safe and cozy.

  • The cat likes to nestle on my lap while I read a book.

  • Let me Nestle up against this cold steel track.

  • His head hung to the right, as if it wanted to nestle against his own shoulder.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The cats just come up to you and nestle in your lap, and you just pet them.

    The Big Sick (2017)

  • The baby comes in there and he nestles in.

    Away We Go (2009)

  • Well, she nestles real close to me.

    Psycho Beach Party (2000)

  • In minutes, the valiant couple nestle under the familiar dark green canopy.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Willard-Jones and her husband are nestled in the cabin at the foot of a mountain range.

    Academic text (2003)

  • One by one, the dogs inched upward until all four were nestled on the pillow next to him.

    Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

to snuggle
vsto nestle
  • Informal
44 2.0

Move close and settle into a warm, comfortable position, often with a person or pet

is similar but is used alone rather than with others
to cuddle
vsto nestle
33 1.0

Moving yourself into a comfortable position for warmth or safety

is similar but focuses more on settling than on seeking security
to nuzzle
vsto nestle
4 3.8

To press close to someone or something to be warm and comfortable

is like that but does not require pressing closely
to nest
vsto nestle
4 2.7

To settle comfortably in a warm or soft place

is identical in meaning but is shorter in form

Antonyms

to displace
140 5.5

To make a person leave their usual place or job

to unsettle
20 4.9

To make someone feel worried or uneasy

How Cozy

to snuggle
  • Informal
44 2.0
to nestle
13 3.6
to cuddle
45 1.0
to settle
729 2.8
to rest
757 1.0

Surface Forms

nestle infinitive
nestled past
nestled past participle
nestling present participle
nestles third person singular

Morphology

nestle = nest (semi-transparent) = nest + le

The word is historically built from 'nest' plus a verbal suffix, but the modern senses extend beyond a literal nest-like action.

Etymology

Nestle comes from the old word nest, which means 'a bird's home'. Think of a bird tucking into soft feathers; to nestle is to move into a small, warm, comfortable spot like that. So, when you nestle into a blanket, you are settling in for warmth and comfort.