canoodle

12 synonyms for canoodle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — (informal) To kiss and cuddle someone lovingly, or to have sex with them.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

fondle dally grabble cosset grope caress cajole coax blandish inveigle wheedle fleech

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

(informal) To kiss and cuddle someone lovingly, or to have sex with them.

“He’s got a big smile on his face—who’s he been canoodling recently?”

fondle dally grabble cosset grope caress

2. verb

(informal) To talk someone round gently, using charm or flattery.

cajole coax blandish inveigle wheedle fleech

Etymology

The origin of the verb is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested: * From a blend of ca(ress) + noodle (“to engage in frivolous behavior; to fool around or waste time; to mess around, to play”). * From German knuddeln (“to cuddle; (originally) to embrace tightly”); or related to Low German knuddle (“...

Full origin of canoodle →

People also searched

cajole fleech grabble inveigle grope dally caress fondle coax blandish cosset wheedle

Nearby words

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