baby 1 of 3

noun

ˈbā-bē How to pronounce baby (audio)
Definition of babynext
1
as in child
a recently born person the baby is just learning to sit up, so be careful

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in person
a member of the human race I don't care what you want, there'll be no more work for this baby today

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in success
a successful result brought about by hard work a small film that was a labor of love and the baby that the director was proudest of

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
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

as in to nurse
to treat with great or excessive care he babied his car, faithfully washing it every week if you baby him he'll never learn to take care of himself

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

baby

3 of 3

adjective

as in mini

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Dissimilar Words

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
An effort to market a Black baby doll stalled after Ideal declined to put its marketing muscle behind it. — Andrew Silow-Carroll, Sun Sentinel, 31 Aug. 2026 The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services confirmed multiple rabies cases in baby goats associated with Farm Adventures mobile petting zoo, a business based in Iredell County that hosts events in the surrounding area. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Verb
The brothers were each two years apart in age, but younger siblings were never babied; Nick recalled being on the receiving end of numerous pummelings by his older brothers. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026 Each new piece was crafted to be simple, functional, and beautiful, giving parents peace of mind and babies a nurturing space to grow. — Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for baby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for baby
  1. child
  2. person
  3. success
  4. complainer
  5. nurse
  6. mini
  7. infant
  8. man
Noun
  • In total, the support is equal to almost 70,000 Singapore dollars ($55,000) by the time a child is 17.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, settled a lawsuit over the harms of social media to children brought by California and other states.
    — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of child
Noun
  • Its movements and squeaks change in response to the person interacting with it, giving caregivers another way to reduce distress and encourage engagement.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Dramatic video showed the rescue of one such person as authorities from Nepal worked to drag the man out of the mud deluge.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of person
Noun
  • Crowds boomed along with that success, increasing the exposure and scrutiny.
    — Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Somers Superintendent Sam Galloway, whose district has surpassed its pre-COVID test scores, attributed the success in part to the district limiting screen time for students.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of success
Noun
  • My ‘Deborah Vance Show senior writer’ persona was kind of a rude complainer with an incipient alcohol problem.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Are they deluded into thinking that the complainers are just a squeaky wheel minority and the majority of fans are happy with it?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of complainer
Verb
  • Scott had similarly worked with Flynn and Colman before, as well as Billie Piper, who’s magnetic as the famed casting director Patsy Pollack, who nursed Charleson in his last days.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • By the end of the round, Hrgović was nursing a cut above his right eyebrow — a worrying sign for a man whose June 2024 fight against Daniel Dubois was stopped because of cuts above both his eyebrows.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurse
Adjective
  • Despite its small stature, this mini table's design—with its dramatic sloping base and softened top—packs a punch.
    — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 27 Aug. 2026
  • It's become a mini Ravinia or Red Rocks, with the crowd lining the slabs with their blankets.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of mini
Noun
  • Officials were in contact with the families, according to Kamal, who said the immediate priority was to support the parents and return the infants' bodies to them.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • At least 14 babies at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences died in a nursery fire Wednesday, while one infant was rescued, according to hospital officials.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of infant
Noun
  • The Ravens haven’t traditionally kept a third quarterback on the 53-man roster, but Fagnano starred throughout the preseason, completing 75 percent of his passes and throwing for 509 yards and three touchdowns.
    — Jeff Zrebiec, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Davis is the only person still alive among the four men prosecutors say were in the Cadillac.
    — Jonathan Landrum Jr, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of man

Phrases Containing baby

Browse Nearby Words

babushkas
baby
baby buggies
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Cite this Entry

“Baby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/baby. Accessed 3 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on baby

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about baby

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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