Caress usually means to touch someone or something gently and affectionatelyin a way that shows warm liking or fondness. It can also mean a gentle loving strokea long, smooth movement of the hand over a surface, or something that feels similarly soft and soothingcalming and making discomfort or worry less.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /kəˈrɛs/
Easy pronunciation: kuh-RESS (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Verb sense: to touch or stroke lightly in a loving or affectionate way.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Caress Meaning
to gently touch someone in an affectionate way
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to touch or stroke lightly in a loving or affectionate way
Example: He caressed her face.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- fondle — A possible synonym in this sense, though it can sound more physical or intimate than caress.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Caress
Meaning 2
a gentle loving stroke; something soft and soothing like that
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a gentle affectionate stroking, or something resembling it
Example: The breeze felt like a caress on his face.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Caress Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- fondle
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Using caress for any light touch, even when it is not affectionate.
- Confusing the verb caress with the noun caress.
- Using fondle as if it always means the same thing as caress; it can sound more sexual or more intimate depending on context.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does caress mean?
Caress means to touch someone or something gently and affectionately. It can also mean a gentle loving stroke, or something that feels soft and soothing like one.
What is a synonym for caress?
A close synonym for the verb caress is fondle, though it can sound more intimate or physical. The noun sense has fewer exact one-word synonyms.
Is caress a noun or a verb?
It can be both. As a verb, it means to stroke gently and affectionately. As a noun, it means a gentle affectionate stroke.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-17. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.