Meaning & use
masturbating
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“masturbating” is a form of “masturbate”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbtransitive or intransitiveformal
The -ing form of masturbate: touching your own genitals for sexual pleasure.
Grammar: The verb masturbate can be used without an object or, rarely, with a reflexive object; the -ing form often works as a noun or after be.
Patterns
- be masturbating
- masturbating in private
Doctors explain that masturbating is a common behavior and is not harmful in itself.
The health class covered what is normal and what is private, including masturbating.
The article discussed myths about masturbating that people still believe.
Word forms
| base form | masturbate |
|---|---|
| third person singular | masturbates |
| past tense | masturbated |
| past participle | masturbated |
Common combinations
- myths about masturbating
- The leaflet clears up myths about masturbating.
- masturbating in private
- Sex education stresses that masturbating should happen only in private.
- talk about masturbating
- Many parents find it awkward to talk about masturbating.
Synonyms and how they differ
- self-pleasuring
- Self-pleasuring is a softer, more euphemistic expression, while masturbating is the plain clinical word.
- self-stimulation
- Self-stimulation sounds more technical and is used in medical writing.
Word family
- masturbate verb
- to touch yourself for sexual pleasure
- masturbation noun
- the act of doing this
- masturbatory adjective
- relating to masturbation, or figuratively overly self-indulgent
Practice
Which word is the base verb of the form masturbating?
Choose one answer.
Masturbating is the -ing form of the verb masturbate. Masturbation and masturbator are nouns, and masturbatory is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “masturbating”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.