baby 1 of 3

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2
3
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as in complainer
a person who makes frequent complaints usually about little things don't be such a baby—the shot didn't hurt that much

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

baby

2 of 3

verb

baby

3 of 3

adjective

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb baby contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of baby are humor, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, and spoil. While all these words mean "to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings," baby suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude.

babying students by grading too easily

When might humor be a better fit than baby?

The synonyms humor and baby are sometimes interchangeable, but humor stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims.

humored him by letting him tell the story

When can indulge be used instead of baby?

The words indulge and baby can be used in similar contexts, but indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires.

indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse

Where would mollycoddle be a reasonable alternative to baby?

The words mollycoddle and baby are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, mollycoddle suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare.

refused to mollycoddle her malingering son

In what contexts can pamper take the place of baby?

In some situations, the words pamper and baby are roughly equivalent. However, pamper implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect.

pampered by the amenities of modern living

When would spoil be a good substitute for baby?

The meanings of spoil and baby largely overlap; however, spoil stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering.

foolish parents spoil their children

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of baby
Noun
The next images that appear depict three sequential viewpoints, suggesting the frames of a film strip, of a baby’s crowning head. Jessica Simmons-Reid, Artforum, 1 June 2025 The baby’s father is David, a prisoner convicted of a 2008 murder. Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 30 May 2025
Verb
The sensitive child of the bunch doesn’t need to be babied. Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 28 Nov. 2023 Plus, judging by Dustin May, Walker Buehler and many others, babying a pitcher doesn’t seem too effective. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 6 June 2023 See All Example Sentences for baby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baby
Noun
  • Voices Column: Lewis W. Hine’s photos helped child labor laws pass a century ago.
    Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025
  • Another victim was 27-year-old Mary Reiner, who had just returned home after giving birth to her first child.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • The figures’ heads reach the top corners, and the person on the left seems to have an outstretched arm.
    Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
  • During prison or jail time, the person behind bars can no longer make much money themselves, and often other family members have to adjust — staying home or cutting their hours, for instance, to care for children.
    Meg Anderson, NPR, 3 June 2025
Noun
  • Such a gradual approach to the moon does not, however, guarantee landing success.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
  • That knowledge might be the very thing driving your success.
    Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Verb
  • While Sir Alex Ferguson and his players were still nursing hangovers from their epic Champions League final victory over Bayern Munich in May 1999, Cunha came into the world in the Brazilian state of Paraiba.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 29 May 2025
  • Signs of a successful feeding routine include: Your newborn is nursing often.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 26 May 2025
Adjective
  • Kylie Kelce has a little mini me in her second youngest daughter, 2-year-old Bennett.
    Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
  • The regular size McFlurry weighs in with a total of 460 calories; the mini size at 280 calories.
    Mike Snider, USA Today, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Nursery night-lights work well for children who are afraid of the dark and people who need to get up in the middle of the night with their tired infant.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 28 May 2025
  • Advertisement Advertisement Supporters frame baby drop boxes as a beautiful solution for all parties involved—relinquishing parents, infants anonymously surrendered, and families who eventually adopt them.
    Time, Time, 28 May 2025
Noun
  • Aaron Rodgers is the new man in town for the storied franchise and will look to make one more run at a Super Bowl.
    Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • At the same time, Musk owns the infrastructure of conservative discourse, via X. That puts both men in a sort of co-dependent situation – Musk owns the medium, while Trump’s ideas are the message.
    Andy Meek, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Their guide, speaking to the New York Times, credited their accomplishment to a secret advantage: prior to the trip, the climbers inhaled xenon gas, which may have made their acclimatization to the low-oxygen environment of Everest easier.
    Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 29 May 2025
  • Often my friends share the news like the tattoo is some sort of accomplishment and, if the young adult is present, will summon them over to show off the new ink to (presumably) collect compliments.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 27 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Baby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baby. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

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