Meaning & use
swaddled
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“swaddled” is a form of “swaddle”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Past form of swaddle: wrapped a baby tightly in a cloth or blanket so that it feels warm and secure.
Grammar: Takes an object: she swaddled the baby; the object is often followed by in.
Patterns
- swaddle someone in something
- swaddle someone
The nurse swaddled the newborn and handed her to her mother.
He swaddled the baby in a soft cotton blanket before the car ride.
My grandmother swaddled all her children for their first weeks.
adjectivecomparable
Wrapped closely in cloth, or covered in so many layers that movement is difficult.
Grammar: Can come before a noun (a swaddled infant) or after a verb (the baby was swaddled).
Patterns
- swaddled in something
A swaddled infant slept quietly in the pram.
The hikers stood swaddled in scarves and heavy coats.
The statue was swaddled in plastic sheeting during the repairs.
Common combinations
- swaddled in a blanket
- The baby lay swaddled in a blanket printed with stars.
- swaddled infant
- A swaddled infant is easier to settle at night.
- swaddled tightly
- She was swaddled tightly so she would not startle in her sleep.
- swaddled in scarves
- He walked to work swaddled in scarves against the wind.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wrapped
- Wrapped is far more general and can describe any object, while swaddled suggests a snug, soft wrapping, usually of a baby.
- bundled up
- Bundled up is informal and stresses wearing many warm layers, whereas swaddled pictures one smooth tight wrap.
- cocooned
- Cocooned suggests being surrounded and protected from the outside, often figuratively, while swaddled is more literally about cloth.
Opposites
Word family
- swaddle verb
- to wrap a baby snugly in cloth
- swaddling noun
- strips of cloth used to wrap a baby
- swaddling clothes noun
- the old-fashioned bands of cloth used for newborns
Commonly confused: swaddled or swathed?
swaddled vs swathed
Swathed means wrapped or covered in something, often loosely or decoratively, and is not specific to babies; swaddled is about a close, soothing wrap.
Practice
The nurse ___ the newborn in a warm blanket before returning her to her mother.
Choose one answer.
Swaddled means wrapped snugly, which fits a newborn in a blanket. Swayed means moved from side to side, so it does not take 'in a blanket'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “swaddled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.