breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed ˈbrest-ˌfēd 

variants or breast-feed

breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1

: to breastfeed a baby

… more women are breastfeeding than ever before …

—Lauren Sandler

2

of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast

breastfed adjective

or breast-fed

breastfed babies

breastfeeder noun

or breast-feeder

breastfeeding noun

or breast-feeding

Synonyms of breastfeed

• nurse
• suckle

Examples of breastfeed in a Sentence

believes that all women should breast-feed their babies

Recent Examples on the Web

Research comparing two groups of socially disadvantaged mothers found that those who used doulas were four times less likely to have a baby with low birth weight, two times less likely to have a birth complication and much more likely to start breastfeeding. —Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026

Through their partnerships, mothers across Mecklenburg County have access to home visiting programs, group prenatal care, breastfeeding education and more. —Briah Lumpkins, Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2026

Once women are home with their baby, some doulas can guide them through breastfeeding and even help prepare healthy meals. —Zinhle Essamuah, NBC news, 21 Mar. 2026

That doesn’t mean people should avoid breastfeeding, Buckley said, noting its many benefits, including infant bone health. —Kristen Rogers, CNN Money, 17 Mar. 2026

According to Malik, breastfeeding decreases the risk of ovarian cancer. —Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 5 Mar. 2026

Note that more than 85% of breastfeeding parents stop nursing exclusively by the time their baby is 6 months old, which means that most of us end up spending hundreds of dollars on formula at some point. —Deborah Skolnik, Parents, 1 Mar. 2026

Recently, Frida created a Mardi Gras float to celebrate breastfeeding. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026

On the New Orleans shoot, Mosaku brought her young baby and suddenly went from breastfeeding to pumping and bottle-feeding. —Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 25 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1869, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

breast-feed

verb

ˈbrest-ˌfēd

breast-fed

-ˌfed

; breast-feeding

: to feed a baby from a mother's breast

Medical Definition

breastfeed

verb

breast·​feed

variants or breast-feed

ˈbrest-ˌfēd

breastfed or breast-fed; breastfeeding or breast-feeding; breastfeeds or breast-feeds

transitive verb

: to feed (a baby) from a mother's breast

intransitive verb

1

: to breastfeed a baby

2

of a baby : to feed oneself by sucking milk from a mother's breast

breastfed adjective

or breast-fed

breastfed babies

breastfeeder noun

or breast-feeder

This class for first-time breastfeeders will be from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

—The Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal

On average, infants who were exclusive breast-feeders continued to drink more as they got older …

—The Philadelphia Inquirer

breastfeeding noun

or breast-feeding