mother 1 of 3

noun

Definition of mothernext
as in mom
a female human parent he dreaded telling his mother that her favorite figurine had gotten broken

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mother

2 of 3

adjective

as in maternal
of, relating to, or characteristic of a mother she often offered to babysit for friends, hoping to satisfy her mother urges until she had children of her own

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mother

3 of 3

verb

1
as in to have
to bring forth from the womb I hope to mother at least one child

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to nurse
to attend to the needs and comforts of mothered the patients with chicken soup

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 mother
Noun
Both grooms wrote their own vows, but one of the ceremony’s most memorable roles belonged to Zuckerman’s 90-year-old grandmother, who served as their flower girl and walked alongside both of their mothers. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 1 Sep. 2026 Within days, midwives, mothers, community leaders and politicians held a rally at the YWCA in downtown Troy. — Noam Levey, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026
Verb
Perhaps pasta or pizza with cheese is so comforting because we’re literally being mothered by flowering plants and bovines? — Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026 One way to combat that, as a gardener, is to start plants by seed instead of buying plants that someone else has started, watered and mothered for months. — Henry Homeyer, The Providence Journal, 13 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for mother
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mother
  1. mom
  2. maternal
  3. have
  4. nurse
  5. produce
  6. deliver
  7. birth
Noun
  • Kelley is a foster mom of two, a children’s book author and founder of the nonprofit Foster Footprints.
    — Grey Battle, Washington Post, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Somedays her brain fog, headaches and blood pressure would be so bad, her mom needed to pick her up from school.
    — Maggie Menderski, Louisville Courier Journal, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of mom
Adjective
  • The country has long had one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, now exacerbated by the Taliban’s ban on medical training for women and the requirement that women patients be accompanied to appointments by a male guardian.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The case has put a spotlight on maternal mental health and how its treated by the public and healthcare professionals.
    — August 31, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of maternal
Verb
  • And some of the outlook may have less to do with the immediate issues and more about life stage.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Staff come from all over the globe, and have extensive top-level international hospitality experience.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of have
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
Verb
  • This rainfall is likely to produce flash flooding, especially in low-lying and urban areas.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
  • What we’re left with is a system for producing conflict, a machine for generating chaos.
    — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of produce
Verb
  • Davis delivered a strong preseason, but he is now likely headed to a redshirt rookie season unless injuries strike at tackle.
    — Dan Duggan, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Scientists around the world are anticipating the unprecedented insights Roman could deliver.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of deliver
Verb
  • The event is for all ages and childcare is available for those ages birth to grade 5.
    — Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2026
  • However, scientists do have a pretty solid idea of how a galaxy could take shape without birthing stars.
    — Robert Lea, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of birth

Phrases Containing mother

Browse Nearby Words

moth-eaten
mother
mother countries
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Cite this Entry

“Mother.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mother. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on mother

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mother

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