Baby — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈbā-bē/ ba·by

Meaning & Definition of Baby

Baby (noun)

  1. an extremely young child; especially, infant —sometimes used of an adult daughter or son to express parental nostalgia or affection
  2. an extremely young animal
  3. the youngest of a group

Baby (adjective)

  1. of, relating to, or being an extremely young child
  2. much smaller than the usual

Baby (verb)

  1. to tend to indulge with often excessive or inappropriate care and solicitude
  2. to use or treat with care

Baby (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a recently born person

    "the baby is just learning to sit up, so be careful"

    similar: babe, bambino, child, infant, neonate, newborn
    related: cherub, foundling, nursling, suckling, preemie, bantling, kid, kiddie, kiddo, moppet, toddler, tot, tyke, boy, nipper, tad, juvenile, minor, youngling, youngster, youth, imp, squirt, urchin, whippersnapper, girl, hoyden, tomboy
    near: adult, grown-up, elder, graybeard, oldster, old-timer, senior, senior citizen

  2. a member of the human race

    "I don't care what you want, there'll be no more work for this baby today"

    similar: being, bird, bod (British), body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, son of man
    related: hominid, homo, humanoid, brother, fellow, fellowman, neighbor, celebrity, personality, self, somebody
    near: animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter

  3. 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"

    similar: accomplishment, achievement, acquirement, attainment, coup, success, triumph, a feather in one's cap
    related: blockbuster, hit, jackpot, megahit, miracle, smash, winner, conquest, gain, victory, win, skill, deed, feat, performance, arrival, completion, consummation, culmination, execution, fruition, fulfillment, implementation, realization
    opposite: nonachievement
    near: botch, cock-up (British), mess, muddle, shambles, bummer, bust, catastrophe, debacle, disaster, dud, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, washout, disappointment, letdown, loss, setback

  4. a person who makes frequent complaints usually about little things

    "don't be such a baby—the shot didn't hurt that much"

    similar: bellyacher, complainer, crybaby, fussbudget, fusser, fusspot, griper, grumbler, kvetch, kvetcher, sniveler, whiner
    related: bawler, bleater, moaner, screamer, squawker, wailer, weeper, crab, grump, malcontent
    near: happy camper

Baby (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. 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"

    similar: cocker, coddle, cosset, dandle, indulge, mollycoddle, nurse, pamper, spoil, wet-nurse
    related: cater (to), humor, content, delight, gladden, gratify, mother, oblige, please, satisfy, appease, mollify, pacify, placate, soothe
    opposite: abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, manhandle, mishandle, mistreat, misuse
    near: control, discipline, restrain, oppress, neglect, overlook, slight, molest, outrage, violate, harass, harm, hurt, injure, persecute, torment, torture, victimize

Baby (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in little, small

    similar: diminutive, dwarf, elfin, half-pint, Lilliputian, little, micro, mini, minikin, model, petite, pocket, pocket-size, pygmy, small, smallish, atomic, bitsy, bitty, infinitesimal, itty-bitty, little bitty, microminiature, microscopic, miniature, minuscule, minute, teensy, teensy-weensy, teeny, teeny-weeny, tiny, wee, weeny, dinky, dwarfish, insignificant, pint-size, puny, scrubby, undersized
    opposite: astronomical, colossal, cosmic, elephantine, enormous, giant, gigantic, herculean, heroic, huge, immense, mammoth, massive, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, planetary, prodigious, titanic, tremendous, big, bulky, bumper, considerable, extensive, good, goodly, grand, great, gross, handsome, hefty, hulking, jumbo, king-size, large, largish, major, outsize, overgrown, overscale, oversize, sizable, substantial, super, whacking, whopping, formidable, grandiose, imposing, lofty, majestic, monolithic, staggering, stupendous, towering, boundless, cavernous, immeasurable, infinite, vast, vasty, voluminous

Related Entry: Baby buggy (noun)

Baby buggy is a different word from Baby. The synonyms below are for baby buggy, not for baby.

  1. a small four-wheeled vehicle designed for pushing a baby around in

    "a proud father-to-be who's looking forward to pushing a baby buggy around the park"

    similar: baby carriage, buggy, perambulator (chiefly British), pram (chiefly British), pushchair (chiefly British), stroller
    related: bassinet, cradle, crib, carry-cot (British)

Related Entry: Baby carriage (noun)

Baby carriage is a different word from Baby. The synonyms below are for baby carriage, not for baby.

  1. a small four-wheeled vehicle designed for pushing a baby around in

    "twins in a double baby carriage"

    similar: baby buggy, buggy, perambulator (chiefly British), pram (chiefly British), pushchair (chiefly British), stroller
    related: bassinet, cradle, crib, carry-cot (British)

Related Entry: Baby buggies (noun)

Baby buggies is a different word from Baby. The synonyms below are for baby buggies, not for baby.

  1. a small four-wheeled vehicle designed for pushing a baby around in

    "a proud father-to-be who's looking forward to pushing a baby buggy around the park"

    similar: baby carriages, buggies, perambulators (chiefly British), prams (chiefly British), pushchairs (chiefly British), strollers
    related: bassinets, cradles, cribs, carry-cots (British)

Related Entry: Baby carriages (noun)

Baby carriages is a different word from Baby. The synonyms below are for baby carriages, not for baby.

  1. a small four-wheeled vehicle designed for pushing a baby around in

    "twins in a double baby carriage"

    similar: baby buggies, buggies, perambulators (chiefly British), prams (chiefly British), pushchairs (chiefly British), strollers
    related: bassinets, cradles, cribs, carry-cots (British)

Related Entry: Throw out (verb)

Throw out is a different word from Baby. The synonyms below are for throw out, not for baby.

  1. to drive or force out

    "the player was thrown out of the game after assaulting the ref"

    similar: banish, boot (out), bounce, cast out, chase, dismiss, drum (out), eject, expel, extrude, kick out, oust, out, rout, run off, turf (out) (chiefly British), turn out, give one the gate (slang), send packing
    related: deforce, deport, displace, dispossess, evict, exile, expatriate, ostracize, read out, shut out, ax, can, cashier, defenestrate, discharge, fire, muster out, pink-slip, release, remove, retire, sack, terminate
    near: accept, admit, receive, take, take in, welcome, entertain, harbor, house, lodge, shelter

  2. to get rid of as useless or unwanted

    "would you mind if I threw out that leftover pizza that's been in the fridge for two weeks?"

    similar: cashier, cast (off), chuck, deep-six, discard, ditch, dump, eighty-six, exorcise, fling (off or away), jettison, junk, lay by, lose, pitch, reject, scrap, shed, shuck (off), slough (off), throw away, toss, unload, dispose of, set aside
    related: abandon, abdicate, desert, forsake, dismiss, kick out, abolish, annihilate, eliminate, eradicate, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, liquidate, remove, root (out), stamp (out), wipe out
    near: adopt, embrace, take on, employ, use, utilize, hold, hold back, keep, retain

  3. to throw or give off

    "the charcoal grill is throwing out big billows of black smoke"

    similar: cast, discharge, emanate, emit, evolve, exhale, expel, expire (archaic), give out, irradiate, issue, radiate, release, send (out), shoot, vent
    related: eliminate, evacuate, excrete, exude, ooze, secrete, eject, erupt, gush, jet, outpour, pour, spew, spout, spray, spurt, squirt
    near: absorb, inhale, soak (up), sponge, suck (up), take up

  4. to show unwillingness to accept, do, engage in, or agree to

    "he'll throw out any acting offers that don't meet his standards"

    similar: balk (at), decline, deselect, disapprove, negative, nix, pass, pass up, refuse, reject, reprobate, repudiate, spurn, throw over, turn down, turn one's back on
    related: blow off, disdain, rebuff, scorn, scout, shoot down, overrule, veto, forbid, prohibit, proscribe, dismiss, ignore, abstain (from), forbear, refrain (from), deny, disavow, disclaim, dispute, gainsay, stick, abjure, forswear, recant, renounce, retract, take back, unsay, withdraw, avoid, bypass, detour, contradict, disown, negate, controvert, disagree (with), disprove, rebut, refute, back down, back off, backtrack, disallow, recall, renege, revoke
    opposite: accept, agree (to), approve
    near: condone, countenance, swallow, tolerate, adopt, embrace, receive, take, welcome, accede, acquiesce, agree, assent, consent, choose, handpick, select, espouse, support

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Baby

The most common words with a similar meaning to Baby:

British: bod
babe, bambino, child, infant, neonate, newborn, being, bird, body, character, cookie, creature, customer, devil, duck, egg, face, fish, guy, head, human, human being, individual, life, man, mortal, party, person, personage, scout, slob, sort, soul, specimen, stiff, thing, wight, accomplishment, achievement, acquirement

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Baby

Words with the opposite meaning of Baby:

nonachievement, abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, manhandle, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, astronomical, colossal, cosmic, elephantine, enormous, giant, gigantic, herculean, heroic, huge, immense, mammoth, massive, monster, monstrous, monumental, mountainous, planetary, prodigious, titanic, tremendous

Related Words for Baby

cherub, foundling, nursling, suckling, preemie, bantling, kid, kiddie, kiddo, moppet, toddler, tot, tyke, boy, nipper, tad, juvenile, minor, youngling, youngster, youth, imp, squirt, urchin, whippersnapper, girl, hoyden, tomboy, hominid, homo

Near Antonyms of Baby

adult, grown-up, elder, graybeard, oldster, old-timer, senior, senior citizen, animal, beast, beastie, brute, critter, botch, cock-up, mess, muddle, shambles, bummer, bust, catastrophe, debacle, disaster, dud, failure, fiasco, fizzle, flop, washout, disappointment

Word Forms of Baby

Inflections: babies, babied, babying

Derived words: babyhood (noun), babyish (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Baby

Middle English, from babe

First known use: 15th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Baby

Words & Phrases Containing Baby

baby back ribs, baby blue, baby blue eyes, baby boom, baby boomer, baby boomlet, baby bottle

Frequently Asked Questions about Baby

What does "Baby" mean?

"Baby" means an extremely young child; especially, infant —sometimes used of an adult daughter or son to express parental nostalgia or affection. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: an extremely young child; especially, infant —sometimes used of an adult daughter or son to express parental nostalgia or affection. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Baby"?

Other words for "Baby" include babe, bambino, child, infant, neonate, newborn, being and bird. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Baby" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Baby"?

There are 198 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Baby". Common alternatives include babe, bambino, child, infant, neonate, newborn, being, bird, bod and body.

What is the opposite of "Baby"?

Antonyms of "Baby" include nonachievement, abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, manhandle, mishandle and mistreat. Near antonyms include adult, grown-up, elder and graybeard.

How do you use "Baby" in a sentence?

Examples of "Baby" in a sentence: "the baby is just learning to sit up, so be careful"; "I don't care what you want, there'll be no more work for this baby today"; "a small film that was a labor of love and the baby that the director was proudest of".

Is "Baby" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Baby" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Baby" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Baby" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Baby"?

"Baby" is pronounced /ˈbā-bē/ and divided into syllables as ba·by.