Synonyms of baby

baby 1 of 3

noun

ˈbā-bē 

1

as in child

a recently born person

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• child
• infant
• newborn
• toddler
• kid
• boy
• neonate
• babe
• girl
• bambino
• cherub
• suckling
• kiddo
• foundling
• youngster
• kiddie
• preemie
• juvenile
• tot
• nursling
• minor
• tyke
• urchin
• youth
• moppet
• nipper
• bantling
• tomboy
• imp
• squirt
• tad
• youngling
• whippersnapper
• hoyden

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• adult
• senior citizen
• grown-up
• elder
• oldster
• old-timer
• senior
• graybeard

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

• person
• man
• life
• guy
• creature
• bird
• human
• fish
• body
• thing
• individual
• soul
• duck
• egg
• customer
• party
• being
• specimen
• sort
• scout
• character
• human being
• cookie
• devil
• personality
• face
• bod
• son of man
• mortal
• wight
• brother
• head
• fellow
• personage
• stiff
• slob
• neighbor
• somebody
• self
• homo
• hominid
• celebrity
• humanoid
• fellowman

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• animal
• beast
• critter
• brute
• beastie

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

• success
• accomplishment
• achievement
• coup
• attainment
• triumph
• miracle
• acquirement
• feat
• victory
• a feather in one's cap
• hit
• arrival
• conquest
• performance
• win
• gain
• realization
• blockbuster
• winner
• skill
• implementation
• execution
• deed
• megahit
• jackpot
• completion
• fulfillment
• fruition
• smash
• consummation
• culmination

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• mess
• disaster
• failure
• catastrophe
• bust
• muddle
• shambles
• flop
• loss
• washout
• fiasco
• nonachievement
• dud
• debacle
• disappointment
• bummer
• cock-up
• botch
• letdown
• setback
• fizzle

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

• complainer
• crab
• crybaby
• sniveler
• fussbudget
• fusspot
• whiner
• fusser
• kvetcher
• bellyacher
• screamer
• wailer
• kvetch
• grumbler
• bawler
• weeper
• griper
• squawker
• moaner
• bleater
• grump
• malcontent

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• happy camper

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

• nurse
• spoil
• mother
• indulge
• dandle
• pamper
• please
• cosset
• coddle
• mollycoddle
• satisfy
• wet-nurse
• appease
• cocker
• delight
• cater (to)
• humor
• content
• soothe
• gratify
• placate
• oblige
• gladden
• pacify
• mollify

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• control
• abuse
• mistreat
• restrain
• discipline
• misuse
• maltreat
• manhandle
• slight
• neglect
• ill-treat
• oppress
• hurt
• ill-use
• mishandle
• outrage
• harm
• molest
• violate
• overlook
• torture
• injure
• torment
• harass
• victimize
• persecute

baby

3 of 3

adjective

as in mini

Related Words

• mini
• dwarf
• petite
• pygmy
• micro
• model
• elfin
• half-pint
• smallish
• pocket
• diminutive
• wee
• tiny
• little
• pocket-size
• small
• miniature
• teeny
• atomic
• bitty
• microscopic
• teensy
• Lilliputian
• minikin
• bitsy
• weeny
• infinitesimal
• little bitty
• minuscule
• itty-bitty
• dinky
• teeny-weeny
• teensy-weensy
• dwarfish
• microminiature
• puny
• undersized
• minute
• pint-size
• scrubby
• insignificant

Dissimilar Words

• monster
• giant
• cosmic
• huge
• planetary
• mammoth
• massive
• enormous
• gigantic
• big
• heroic
• large
• tremendous
• monumental
• great
• monstrous
• astronomical
• titanic
• major
• prodigious
• colossal
• mountainous
• good
• grand
• immense
• gross
• substantial
• handsome
• super
• bulky
• extensive
• considerable
• jumbo
• herculean
• sizable
• overgrown
• goodly
• elephantine
• oversize
• whopping
• hefty
• bumper
• imposing
• majestic
• monolithic
• king-size
• formidable
• lofty
• staggering
• outsize
• stupendous
• grandiose
• infinite
• towering
• hulking
• largish
• whacking
• vast
• overscale
• voluminous
• boundless
• cavernous
• immeasurable
• vasty

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

Recent Examples of baby

Noun

All babies are cute, but this was a gratuitously good-looking baby—like a Rubens portrait of the infant Jesus, if the Flemish had been more realistic about a Nazarene’s complexion. — Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Fugitive investigators searching the area heard a baby crying from inside a trailer and entered. — ABC News, 17 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

Phrases Containing baby

• baby buggy
• baby carriage