baby

/ˈbeɪ.bi/

More pronunciations (1)Fewer pronunciations

British/ˈbɛj.bɪj/

baby noun: a very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.

Noun

baby (plural babies)

A very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
- The baby new to earth and sky,
  ⁠What time his tender palm is prest
  ⁠Against the circle of the breast,
  Has never thought that ‘this is I:’ […]1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Canto XLIV”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 67
- In that film, I often hid my head in my hands, unable to watch scenes about dead babies and diving into gruesome lavatories.2017 January 19, Peter Bradshaw, “T2 Trainspotting review – choose a sequel that doesn't disappoint”, in The Guardian
1. A very young human, even if not yet born.
  - When is your baby due?
  - Her baby had always been active, even before he was born, when he would kick her bladder.
Any very young animal, especially a vertebrate; many species have specific names for their babies, such as kittens for the babies of cats, puppies for the babies of dogs, and chicks for the babies of birds. See :Category:Baby animals for more.

Synonyms:

youngling
A person who is immature, infantile, or feeble.
- Stand up for yourself – don't be such a baby!
Synonyms:

big baby
A person who is new to or inexperienced in something.
- I only qualified as an architect this summer, so I'm still a baby.
The lastborn of a family; the youngest sibling, irrespective of age.
- Adam is the baby of the family.
- "You are very dull this morning, Sheriff," said the youngest daughter of the house, who, being the baby and pretty, had grown pettishly privileged in speech.1895, S. R. Crockett, A Cry Across the Black Water
A person's romantic partner; a term of endearment used to refer to or address e.g. one's girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse.
- Too busy thinking about my baby, and I ain't got time for nothing else.
- Baby, don't cry.
Synonyms:

love
(informal) A form of address to a person considered to be attractive.
- Hey baby, what are you doing later?
A thing that is comparatively small of its kind.
- There will be only seven episodes in the final season. Previous seasons had as many as ten, nine, and eight episodes total. So this one is definitely the baby. After the season premiere, episodes will drop weekly-ish on Thursdays.2026 April 10, Leah Marilla Thomas, “Here’s When Every Episode of ‘Hacks’ Season 5 Drops”, in Cosmopolitan
A concept or creation endeared by its creator.
- This test program I've designed is my new baby.
A pet project or responsibility.
- You need to talk to John about that – it's his baby.
- Sovnarkom was Lenin's baby, it was where he focused all his energies […].1996, Orlando Figes, A People's Tragedy, Folio Society, published 2015, page 902
An affectionate term for anything.
- See my new car here? I can't wait to take this baby for a drive.
(archaic) A small image of an infant; a doll.
(attributive, often) One who is new to an identity or community.
- baby queer; baby trans
- These more general spells and rituals can also be helpful for baby witches, who might want more time to practice before they hop into highly-specific spells.2020, Nina Kahn, The Joy of Hex: Modern Spells Without All the Bullsh*t, unnumbered page

Adjective

baby (comparative babier or babyer or baby-er, superlative babiest or babyest or baby-est)

(usually) Picked when small and immature (as in baby corn, baby potatoes).
Newest (overall, or in some group or state); most inexperienced.
- Mrs. Paull held out her hand to the babyest of the quartette, as they tiptoed up to the bed. “Lift her up, please, Marie!” she said, motioning to the place enclosed by her arm. When the rosy cheek touched hers upon the pillow, she asked ...1894, Marion Harland, The Royal Road, Or, Taking Him at His Word, page 136
- That evening, we grouped about the fire in the parlor, a wide circle that left room for the babyest of the party to disport themselves upon the rug, in the glow of the grate piled with cannel coal.1910, Marion Harland, Marion Harland's Autobiography: The Story of a Long Life, page 408
Like or pertaining to a baby, in size or youth; small, young.
- Spider. Here let us begin at the beginning, at the babyest of books for Edith's nursery.1888, Monthly Packet, page 170
- She let it drop out of her sleeve, and it was two Chings — the dearest, littlest, babyest, tiny Chings — little balls of fur! And she ran away, and daddy's father picked them up, and put them in his pockets, and brought them home, […]1894, Edith E. Cuthell, Two Little Children and Ching, page 107

Verb

baby (third-person singular simple present babies, present participle babying, simple past and past participle babied)

(transitive) To coddle; to pamper somebody like an infant.
- […] though he tried to be gruff and mature, he yielded to her and was glad to be babied.1922, Sinclair Lewis, Babbitt, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Company, →OCLC
- Then the man effected measles and stayed off the job for six weeks, babying himself at home, though he lived just round the corner from my half-built house.1944, Emily Carr, “Friction”, in The House of All Sorts
(transitive) To tend (something) with care; to be overly attentive to (something), fuss over.
- In the past 27 years, "Mr. Mac," as he is known to his 46,000 teammates, has built and babied his McDonnell Co. from nothing into a $1 billion-a-year corporation.1967 March 31, “Mr. Mac and His Team”, in Time
- I have grown them for years and although some years are better than others, I have always had loads of tomatoes by not babying them, going easy on the water, and fertilizing with compost in the planting hole.1912, Linda Craig, interviewed by Theresa Forte, "Tree and Twig farm — a treasure chest of heirloom tomatoes," Welland Tribune, 25 May, 2012...

Proper noun capitalized: Baby

Baby (plural Babys)

A surname.

baby meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu

baby in Hindi

very young human being — see also child: शिशु śiśu, बच्चा baccā
young animal: शावक śāvak
term of endearment — see also darling: बेबी bebī, जान jān
to coddle; to pamper somebody like an infant: दुलारना dulārnā

baby in Tamil

very young human being — see also child: குழந்தை kuḻantai, சிசு cicu, பிள்ளை piḷḷai
young animal: குட்டி kuṭṭi, குஞ்சு kuñcu
lastborn of a family: கடைக்குட்டி kaṭaikkuṭṭi
to coddle; to pamper somebody like an infant: கொஞ்சு koñcu

baby in Marathi

very young human being — see also child: बाळ bāḷ

baby in Urdu

very young human being — see also child: بچہ baccā

More languagesFewer languages

baby in Bengali: শিশু śiśu, বাচ্চা bacca
baby in Telugu: పసిపాప pasipāpa, శిశువు śiśuvu, పిల్ల pilla, దూడ dūḍa
baby in Malayalam: വാവ vāva
baby in Kannada: ಶಿಶು śiśu
baby in Punjabi: ਬੱਚਾ baccā
baby in Gujarati: શિશુ śiśu
baby in Odia: ଶିଶୁ śiśu
baby in Sanskrit: स्तनप stanapa, स्तनन्धय stanandhaya, शिशु śiśu
baby in Sinhala: බබා babā, ළදරුවා ḷadaruwā
baby in Assamese: কেঁচুৱা kẽsua
baby in Nepali: बच्चा baccā, शिशु śiśu
baby in Pashto: ماشوم māšúm, مورروى morrᶕway, شيرخوره širxóra, کوکی kokáy
baby in Tagalog: sanggol, bebot
baby in Arabic: رَضِيع raḍīʕ, طفل tefl, بيبي bebīʕ, نونو nono
baby in Malay: bayi, anak, anak kecil, sayang
baby in Indonesian: bayi
baby in Persian: اُشْتُک uštuk, اُشْتُکَک uštukak, بچه bačča, کودک kōdak
baby in Thai: เด็กอ่อน dèk-ɔ̀ɔn, เด็กน้อย dèk-nɔ́ɔi, ทารก taa-rók, ทาริกา taa-rí-gaa
baby in Vietnamese: bé, em bé
baby in Myanmar: ကလေး ka.le:

Examples of baby in a sentence

It would be cheaper to have the baby in England.2013 June 7, Natalie Pierce, Weaving My Way Through Life, Author House, →ISBN, page 44:
"He's a year older than me." "You're the baby, eh?"1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, →OCLC, page 114:
That was even worse than blurting my sexuality like I had when I was what we called a “baby dyke” in college, desperate to find other lesbians for friendship or more.2020, Jane Kolven, The Holiday Detour, unnumbered page:
As someone who is still a 'baby trans', these collaborations have taught me so much about what it means to live outside cisnormativity.2021, Yve Rees, quoted in Sam Elkin & Yve Rees, "Spilling the T", Bent Street: Australian LGBTIQA+ Arts, Writing & Ideas, Volume 5, Issue...

All 40 example sentences with baby

Synonyms of baby

14 more synonymsFewer synonyms

All synonyms of baby

Forms of baby

Noun
plural	babies
Adjective
comparative	babier
comparative	babyer
comparative	baby-er
superlative	babiest
superlative	babyest
superlative	baby-est
Verb
third-person singular present	babies
present participle	babying
past participle	babied
past	babied
Proper noun
plural	Babys

Plural of baby: babies

Origin of baby

From Middle English baby, babie (“baby”), a diminutive form of babe (“babe, baby”), equivalent to babe + -y/-ie (“endearing and diminutive suffix”). Perhaps ultimately imitative of baby talk (compare babble).

Two main origins: * Borrowed from Malayalam ബേബി (bēbi), a surname typically found in Kerala. * Borrowed from French Baby.

Words formed from baby

Phrases with baby

154 more phrasesFewer phrases

Words that rhyme with baby

Questions about baby

What does baby mean?: Baby means a very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
What is baby in Hindi?: Baby in Hindi is शिशु (śiśu), बच्चा (baccā), शावक (śāvak). See Baby meaning in Hindi.
How do you use baby in a sentence?: It would be cheaper to have the baby in England.
What part of speech is baby?: Baby can be a noun, an adjective, a verb or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce baby?: Baby is pronounced /ˈbeɪ.bi/ (UK).
What is the plural of baby?: The plural of baby is babies.

Words near baby in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: baby (page history and authors); Baby (page history and authors); ਬੱਚਾ (Punjabi) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-baby.ogg, En-uk-baby.ogg.

Cite this entry: “baby.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/baby. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.