Meaning & use
fondling
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“fondling” is a form of “fondle”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Touching and stroking someone or something gently and lovingly.
Grammar: Takes an object: fondle a baby's hair.
Patterns
- fondle something
- fondle someone
She sat on the sofa, fondling the cat's soft ears.
He fondled the old coin in his pocket while he thought.
The mother fondled her baby's tiny fingers.
verbtransitivedisapproving
Touching someone sexually, especially in a way that is unwanted or illegal.
Grammar: Takes an object: fondle a child. Often used in legal and news reports.
Patterns
- fondle someone
- be accused of fondling someone
The man was arrested for fondling a passenger on the train.
She said her boss had fondled her at the office party.
The court heard that he had fondled the child.
Word forms
| third person singular | fondles |
|---|---|
| past tense | fondled |
| past participle | fondled |
| -ing form | fondling |
Common combinations
- fondle a pet
- She likes to fondle her pet rabbit when she is stressed.
- fondle someone's hair
- He gently fondled her hair as they watched the film.
- fondle a baby
- The grandmother fondled the baby and sang softly.
- accused of fondling
- The teacher was accused of fondling a student.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stroke
- Stroke is more neutral and common for gentle touching, especially of hair or fur; fondle often suggests stronger affection or, in legal use, a sexual act.
- caress
- Caress is more literary and often suggests romantic or tender feeling; fondle can be more casual or, in some contexts, inappropriate.
- pet
- Pet is used mainly for animals and means to touch them gently; fondle can be used for people too and has a stronger sexual meaning in some contexts.
Word family
Commonly confused: fondling or fumbling? fondling or founding?
fondling vs fumbling
Fumbling means moving or handling something clumsily, while fondling means touching gently or sexually.
fondling vs founding
Founding means establishing an organization; fondling means touching or stroking.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fondling' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Fondled' is a transitive verb, so it takes a direct object: 'fondled the puppy's fur'. 'Fondling with' is wrong because 'fondle' is not followed by 'with'; 'fondling' is not used as a gerund after 'they' without a helper verb; and 'founding' (establishing) is a different word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fondling”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.