Skip to main content
to cuddle with

to cuddle with

5 2.3
To hold someone or a soft thing close to show love
  • phrasal verb
  • /ˈkʌdəl wɪð/
translation icon : acurrucarse con
  • After a long day, I love to cuddle with my cat on the sofa.
  • want to cuddle with
  • bed to cuddle with

There are tons of people here and most of the people are cuddling with their partner in the grass.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • I would love to be close to you, hold you, cuddle with you, and make you happy.

    Blog text (25)
  • And cuddling with her and our dog is just a wonderful thing every morning.

  • I would just cuddle with you.

  • Want me to cuddle with you?

  • Trying to cuddle with me, huh?

  • But if you would like to put on some clothes, you can, uh, come cuddle with me.

  • I am going to get into bed and put on some Netflix and cuddle with Darla.

  • Best of all was the time to sit and cuddle with the tiny ring bearer and flower girl.

    Blog text (4)
  • Thirty minutes later, he was cuddling with her and giving her kisses.

    Blog text (11)
  • I remembered all the time I spent cuddling with my cats during long evenings on the couch, shawl in my lap.

    Blog text (9)

Synonyms

to hug
vsto cuddle with
336 1.0

To hold someone tightly in your arms to show care

is similar but can include gentler holding or warmth without tightness
to embrace
vsto cuddle with
142 2.8

To hold someone tightly to show affection

is the general action of holding close and may be less formal
to cuddle
vsto cuddle with
72 1.0

Holding someone close in your arms to show love or comfort

has identical meaning but is used with a following preposition to show togetherness
to squeeze
vsto cuddle with
72 1.0

To hold someone tightly in your arms to show affection

is gentler and focuses on closeness and affection rather than force
to caress
vsto cuddle with
55 3.4

To touch someone or something gently to show love

involves holding close physically rather than mostly touching or stroking
to pet
vsto cuddle with
54 1.0

To stroke an animal gently to show affection

focuses on holding someone close rather than primarily stroking them
to wrap arms around
vsto cuddle with
38 2.8

To put your arms around someone or something to show love and protect them

focuses more generally on holding close for affection rather than protection
to snog
vsto cuddle with
  • NSFW
34 8.7

To kiss and hold someone in a romantic or sexual way

covers affectionate holding generally without implying passionate sexual intent
to canoodle
vsto cuddle with
  • Archaic
5 9.1

Kiss and hold someone in a playful or loving way

is the simple act of holding close without the playful kissing element
to nuzzle
vsto cuddle with
1 3.8

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

involves holding close but emphasizes the general act rather than positioning
to snuggle on the couch
vsto cuddle with
  • Informal
1 3.7

Cuddle or lie close together on a couch for warmth and affection

is the general action of holding close, not tied to a couch setting
to curl up in someone's lap
vsto cuddle with
  • Informal
1 3.2

To sit or lie with your body curved on someone's lap for warmth and comfort

is broader, covering holding close in many positions, not just a lap
to give a smooch
vsto cuddle with
  • Informal
7.3

To kiss someone quickly and affectionately

is about holding someone close rather than mainly performing a kiss

Antonyms

839 1.9

Refuse to accept someone or something

37 2.0

To move something away from you by pushing with your hands

How Affectionate

to nuzzle
11 3.4
to cuddle with
5 2.3
to hug
336 1.0
to pat
110 1.0

Surface Forms

cuddle with infinitive
cuddled with past participle
cuddling with present participle
cuddles with third person singular

Morphology

cuddle + with

The verb 'cuddle' already encodes holding someone close in an affectionate way and the preposition 'with' simply marks the co-participant; their combination yields the same, literal meaning. This is a straightforward verb + preposition composition common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Cuddle with comes from the simple picture of someone holding another person or a pet close to feel warm and safe. Here, cuddle is the gentle hug and with shows being together, so cuddle with means 'to hold someone or something close in a loving way'.