Meaning & use
caress
Last updated
Meanings
verbtransitive
To touch or stroke someone or something gently and lovingly.
Grammar: Takes an object: caress someone or something. Often used of a person touching another person or an animal.
Patterns
- caress someone
- caress something
- caress someone's hair
She caressed the baby's cheek softly.
He caressed the dog's head and it wagged its tail.
The mother caressed her child's hair until he fell asleep.
verbtransitivefigurative
To move gently over a surface, as wind or light might do.
Grammar: Takes an object; often used figuratively with natural forces like wind, water, or light.
Patterns
- the wind caresses something
- sunlight caresses something
The breeze caressed her face as she walked along the beach.
Soft light caressed the walls of the old room.
nouncountableliterary
A gentle, loving touch or stroke.
Grammar: Countable: a caress, caresses. Often used in literature or formal writing.
Patterns
- a gentle caress
- the caress of something
He felt the gentle caress of her hand on his shoulder.
The caress of the wind was warm and pleasant.
Word forms
| third person singular | caresses |
|---|---|
| past tense | caressed |
| past participle | caressed |
| -ing form | caressing |
| plural | caresses |
Common combinations
- gently caress
- She gently caressed the cat's fur.
- caress someone's cheek
- He caressed her cheek and smiled.
- caress someone's hair
- The nurse caressed the child's hair to comfort him.
- the wind caresses
- The wind caressed the trees in the garden.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stroke
- A more neutral word for moving your hand gently over something; 'caress' adds a feeling of love or tenderness.
- pet
- Usually means to touch an animal gently and repeatedly; it can also mean to kiss and touch someone sexually.
- fondle
- Often suggests touching in a sexual way; it can be disapproving, unlike 'caress'.
Opposites
Word family
- caressing adjective
- Gently touching or stroking in a loving way.
- caressingly adverb
- In a gentle, loving way.
Commonly confused: caress or careless? caress or caress?
caress vs careless
'Careless' means not paying enough attention; it sounds similar to 'caress' but has a completely different meaning.
caress vs caress
As a verb, it takes an object: 'caress someone.' Do not say 'caress to someone.'
Practice
Choose the sentence that uses 'caress' correctly.
Choose one answer.
'Caress' is a transitive verb and takes a direct object without a preposition. The other options incorrectly add 'to,' 'on,' or 'at.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “caress”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.