noun
babe
bayb
noun
1
A baby or very young child.
"She cradled the babe gently in her arms."
2
An informal, often affectionate term for a romantic partner or attractive person.
"He texted "see you soon, babe" before hanging up."
How to Use Babe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither a very young child, or a casual pet name for a partner.
When to use it
The romantic sense is informal and used mainly in speech or casual writing.
Common pairings
newborn babe
hey, babe
Word Forms
babes plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “babe”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She cradled the _____ gently in her arms.
Etymology
From Middle English babe, likely related to Old English roots for "child", ultimately imitating baby-talk sounds like "ba" (compare "baby", "papa", "mama").