caressing

[ kuh-res-ing ]

adjective

1. gently touching, patting, or stroking a person or thing to show affection:

   She stroked my face—temple, cheek, chin, and then up the other side in a caressing, sweeping gesture.

2. touching or seeming to touch a person or thing lightly and in a way that calms or soothes:

   Over and over again, I repeated the figures until they became a caressing swash of sound inside my head and hummed me finally to sleep.

Other Words From

• ca·ress·ing·ly adverb
• un·ca·ress·ing adjective
• un·ca·ress·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of caressing¹

caress ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

Too many images of Trump weirdly caressing the flag were a turn-off, a revered American symbol cheapened into a prop.

From Salon

I no longer notice the flashes of lime green tape caressing door frames, encircling bathroom floors and smothering naked outlets.

From Los Angeles Times

With the cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, he shows them off beautifully, caressing them in light so that they look lit from within.

From New York Times

"My hands burn in this heat," she tells me, gently caressing her fingertips.

From BBC

The video shows Fito caressing a fighting cockerel and freely chatting to fellow inmates.

From BBC

Related Words

• embracing