fondle

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fon·dle

(fŏn′dl)

v. fon·dled, fon·dling, fon·dles

v.tr.

1. To handle, stroke, or touch lovingly. See Synonyms at caress.

2. To handle, stroke, or touch sexually and inappropriately.

3. Obsolete To treat with indulgence and solicitude; pamper.

v.intr.

1. To show fondness or affection by stroking or touching.

2. To touch, stroke, or handle someone or something sexually and inappropriately.

[Frequentative of fond, to show fondness for (obsolete).]

fon′dler n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fondle

(ˈfɒndəl)

1. (tr) to touch or stroke tenderly; caress

2. (intr) archaic to act in a loving manner

[C17: from (obsolete) vb fond to fondle; see fond¹]

ˈfondler n

ˈfondlingly adv

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fon•dle

(ˈfɒn dl)

v. -dled, -dling. v.t.

1. to handle or touch affectionately: to fondle one's baby.

2. to molest sexually by touching, stroking, etc.

3. Obs. to pamper.

v.i.

4. to show love by caresses.

[1685–95; derivative of fond¹]

fon′dler, n.

fondle

Past participle: fondled
Gerund: fondling

Imperative
fondle
fondle

Present
I fondle
you fondle
he/she/it fondles
we fondle
you fondle
they fondle

Preterite
I fondled
you fondled
he/she/it fondled
we fondled
you fondled
they fondled

Present Continuous
I am fondling
you are fondling
he/she/it is fondling
we are fondling
you are fondling
they are fondling

Present Perfect
I have fondled
you have fondled
he/she/it has fondled
we have fondled
you have fondled
they have fondled

Past Continuous
I was fondling
you were fondling
he/she/it was fondling
we were fondling
you were fondling
they were fondling

Past Perfect
I had fondled
you had fondled
he/she/it had fondled
we had fondled
you had fondled
they had fondled

Future
I will fondle
you will fondle
he/she/it will fondle
we will fondle
you will fondle
they will fondle

Future Perfect
I will have fondled
you will have fondled
he/she/it will have fondled
we will have fondled
you will have fondled
they will have fondled

Future Continuous
I will be fondling
you will be fondling
he/she/it will be fondling
we will be fondling
you will be fondling
they will be fondling

Present Perfect Continuous
I have been fondling
you have been fondling
he/she/it has been fondling
we have been fondling
you have been fondling
they have been fondling

Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been fondling
you will have been fondling
he/she/it will have been fondling
we will have been fondling
you will have been fondling
they will have been fondling

Past Perfect Continuous
I had been fondling
you had been fondling
he/she/it had been fondling
we had been fondling
you had been fondling
they had been fondling

Conditional
I would fondle
you would fondle
he/she/it would fondle
we would fondle
you would fondle
they would fondle

Past Conditional
I would have fondled
you would have fondled
he/she/it would have fondled
we would have fondled
you would have fondled
they would have fondled

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Verb

fondle - touch or stroke lightly in a loving or endearing manner; "He caressed her face"; "They fondled in the back seat of the taxi"

caress

paw - touch clumsily; "The man tried to paw her"

grope - fondle for sexual pleasure; "He made some sexual advances at the woman in his office and groped her repeatedly"

dandle - pet; "the grandfather dandled the small child"

stroke - touch lightly and repeatedly, as with brushing motions; "He stroked his long beard"

pet - stroke or caress in an erotic manner, as during lovemaking

pat, chuck - pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin

nuzzle, nose - rub noses

pet - stroke or caress gently; "pet the lamb"

tickle - touch or stroke lightly; "The grass tickled her calves"

fondle

verb caress, pet, cuddle, touch gently, pat, stroke, dandle He tried to kiss and fondle her.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

fondle

verb

To touch or stroke affectionately:

caress, cuddle, pat, pet.

Translations

يُداعِب، يُدَلِّل، يُلاطِف

hladitmazlit se s

kæle forkærtegne

liebkosen streicheln

caresser

gæla viî

accarezzare vezzeggiare

glamonėti

apmīļotglāstīt

kjæle med

okşamak

抚弄爱抚

fondle

[ˈfɒndl] VT → acariciar

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

fondle

[ˈfɒnd^əl] vt → caresser

fondle

vt → (zärtlich) spielen mit; (= stroke) → streicheln; person → schmusen mit

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

fondle

[ˈfɒndl] vt → accarezzare

fondle

(ˈfondl) verb

to touch, stroke etc affectionately. He fondled the dog's ears.

fondle

vt (to caress) acariciar, (to molest) molestar

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

To his intense astonishment the mongoose allowed her to pet him, take him up in her arms and fondle him.

View in context

The Wizard had trained these pets to do many curious things, and they were so little and so cunning and soft that Polychrome loved to pick them up as they passed near her place and fondle them as if they were kittens.

View in context

Arthur Clennam looked at Little Dorrit with the expression of one saying, 'May I ask who this is?' Little Dorrit, whose hand this Maggy, still calling her little mother, had begun to fondle, answered in words (they were under a gateway into which the majority of the potatoes had rolled).

View in context

So it happened that very often one or the other of them would come into my hut, making pretence to visit my wives, and take the boy upon her lap and fondle it.

View in context

The Mother fondles one and nurtures it with the greatest affection and care, but hates and neglects the other.

View in context

The moment he lays his hand upon the latch, the pony neighs the loudest pony's greeting; before he has crossed the threshold, the pony is capering about his loose box (for he brooks not the indignity of a halter), mad to give him welcome; and when Kit goes up to caress and pat him, the pony rubs his nose against his coat, and fondles him more lovingly than ever pony fondled man.

View in context

One sits by one's self, it is true, but one thinks; one opens one's favorite book and reads one's favorite story; one speaks to one's aunt or one's brother, fondles one's cat, or looks at one's photograph album.

View in context

Washington, March 3 ( ANI ): Jared Leto, who won the best supporting actor in the 86th Academy Awards, had the press room in splits after joking about letting the members of the media fondle his statuette.

Jared Leto encourages press to have 'orgy' with his Oscar Statuette!

It remains unclear whybabies stir such urges to fondle, Fruteau says.

Will groom mom for baby cuddles: market forces govern infant's value within monkey groups

``When he examined my chest, he would undo my bra and fondle my breasts.

WOMAN TELLS OF SEX ABUSE; `GP comforted me` patient tells jury

Responses consisted of moving away from the other crabs (run), pulling into their shells (hide), or touching other crabs' shells (fondle).

Induction of shell-switching behavior in Clibanarius tricolor by chemical odors. (Environmental Poster Session 10:00 AM-11:00 AM)

Nearby was Douglas Cordon's weirdly mesmerizing Blue, 1998, a video in which two hands fondle and stroke.