nuzzle
5 synonyms for nuzzle, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Verb — To press your nose, face or head firmly against something.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
The verb derives from Middle English noselen (“to bend down”); its further origin is uncertain, but two paths are possible. It may be a back-formation from noseling, noselyng (“on the back, supine; with the face downward, prone”, adverb), from nose (“nose”) — itself from Old English nosu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-Eur...
Full origin of nuzzle →