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

Lipa wonders amid cooing backup vocals, and she goes on to rap, “Another girl falls in love/Another girl leaves the club.”

From New York Times

Otis even gets a starring role, cooing along playfully to an improvised piano solo called Interlude II.

From BBC

One can hear actual children in the mix, cooing gently at the beginning, then fading away as the composition grows more intense.

From New York Times

It is not just Trump’s supporters who are cooing and crowing that Trump “is inevitable” while ignoring facts.

From Salon

Related Words

• murmur