MEANING
To touch or stroke something gently, often to show affection or move lightly across it.
Use it for
Describe a gentle touch or soft movement across a surface.Its tactile meaning can convey tenderness while also making wind or light feel physical.
Words that belong together
- caress a cheek
- a gentle caress
- a breeze caresses the grass
- gentle caress
- breeze caresses the grass
On the page
The nurse caressed the child’s fevered brow with a cool cloth.
Nearby words
Opposite meanings
Word forms
- Base
- caress
- Past tense
- caressed
- Past participle
- caressed
- Present participle
- caressing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- caress
- Present continuous
- am/is/are caressing
- Present perfect
- have/has caressed
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been caressing
- Past
- caressed
- Past continuous
- was/were caressing
- Past perfect
- had caressed
- Past perfect continuous
- had been caressing
- Future
- will caress
- Future continuous
- will be caressing
- Future perfect
- will have caressed
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been caressing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Usually transitive; it may describe affectionate touch or, figuratively, a breeze, light, or sound passing softly over something.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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