Caress
v.kind, calmwarm
What it means
To touch gently in a way that expresses affection or tenderness.
Reach for it when describing a welcome, gentle touch in an intimate or caring context
He bent to caress the dog's ears before leaving for work.
Choose between these
6- playful
pet
affectionate touching of an animal is meant
not when Pet is patronizing for an adult and wrong for many human relationships.
- everyday
stroke
a hand moves gently across a surface or body
not when Stroke can be practical grooming and need not express affection.
- everyday
touch
neutral physical contact is all the sentence needs
not when Touch loses the gentleness and affection that define caress.
- warm
cradle
supportive holding conveys protection
not when Cradle describes how something is held, not the gentle movement of a caress.
- warm
fondle
repeated affectionate touching is explicitly intimate
not when Fondle often carries sexual or inappropriate overtones and can make innocent care sound disturbing.
- literary
brush
contact is light, brief, and glancing
not when A brush can be accidental and is too fleeting for sustained tenderness.
Said against
4- strike
- shove
- recoil
- slap
It naturally appears in
4- gently caress
She reached down to gently caress the horse's neck.
- caress a cheek
He paused to caress a cheek still cold from the wind.
- caress with
The nurse would caress with one finger the infant's tiny palm.
- caress gently
He would caress gently the dog's scarred shoulder.