cooing

[ koo-ing ]

noun

1. an act or instance of uttering or imitating the soft murmuring sound characteristic of doves:

   Jim recognized the sound as the cooing of a pigeon, although some of us thought it was an owl.

2. the act of murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly:

   I’m no fan of fancy goodies—not for me the cooing over iced Halloween cupcakes topped with fondant pumpkins.

adjective

1. making the sound characteristic of doves:

   Since February, the lake has come alive again with a few pairs of mallards and a cooing eider duck.

2. murmuring or talking fondly or admiringly:

   Strolling on the boardwalk were cooing couples, briefcase-toting executives, and chattering children with their nannies.

Other Words From

• coo·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of cooing¹

First recorded in 1660–70; coo ¹( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun senses; coo ¹( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

Waking up to the sounds of Princess Peach giggling or Zelda softly cooing “wake up,” is, yes, odd, but I appreciate the burst of frivolity before I start worrying about my to-do list.

From Los Angeles Times

She sent me a photo of the two baby girls with chubby cheeks and rosy smiles, and when we spoke on the phone, I could hear them cooing and fussing for their mother’s attention as she explained to me that she’s a U.S. citizen, but her husband, Loai Omar Abusharia, is Palestinian.

From Slate

Hearing is the intimate sense that made it possible for you to comprehend a parent’s first words to you, your teenage crush whispering, “I love you”; your newborn’s nightingale cooing, not to mention the enjoyment of a performance of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” or marveling over Elis Regina dulcet singing of “The Girl from Ipanema.”

From Salon

It started with a moment in the cars on the way to the challenge as Savannah said, "I want to walk in there and see someone cooing already," followed by her looking all around the kitchen and noticing the six — not five — cutting boards.

From Salon

When Rasseem’s birds made a noise, Samir shouted, “Rasseem. Hey, Rasseem. Is that you? Are you cooing so that someone will snuggle you?”

From Literature

Related Words

• murmur