babe

babe — noun

1. a tiny baby, especially one only a few weeks or months old; a slightly old-fashi

1.nounC1
Definition

a tiny baby, especially one only a few weeks or months old; a slightly old-fashioned or literary word for an infant.

Example

Mary held the sleeping babe close to her chest as the carol singers sang.

literary register: 'the sleeping babe'

The painting shows a young mother feeding her babe by the warm fire.

possessive + babe: 'her babe'

Common collocations
  • a sleeping babe
  • a newborn babe
  • babe in arms
  • a tiny babe
Synonyms
  • infant

    neutral, more medical or formal

  • baby

    the everyday word; 'babe' is more poetic

  • newborn

    specifically a baby in the first weeks of life

Usage Note

Mostly seen in poetry, hymns, religious texts (e.g. the Christmas story), and older novels; in everyday modern speech 'baby' is normal. Distinguish from sense 2 (term of endearment) and sense 3 (attractive person), which are informal/slang and refer to adults.

Common Mistakes

My friend just had a babe last week.
My friend just had a baby last week.
In ordinary modern conversation, use 'baby'; 'babe' for an infant sounds literary or biblical.

2. an affectionate name that you call a romantic partner or close loved one; often

2.nounB2
Definition

an affectionate name that you call a romantic partner or close loved one; often used in a similar way to 'darling' or 'honey' when speaking directly to them.

Example

Hiro smiled at his girlfriend and said, "Babe, your dinner is ready."

vocative: direct address to a partner

Sven texted her boyfriend, "Miss you, babe — see you on Friday."

informal text-message register

Common collocations
  • hey babe
  • thanks babe
  • love you babe
  • miss you babe
Synonyms
  • honey

    very common in American English between partners

  • darling

    slightly more formal; common in British English

  • sweetheart

    warm and gentle, often used by older speakers too

  • baby

    very close in meaning; both are used as pet names

Grammar Patterns

Hi, babe.

babe, can you …?

Usage Note

Used as a vocative (direct address), almost always between romantic partners or very close friends. Can sound creepy or rude if used by a stranger to address a young woman. Distinguish from sense 1 (a real baby) — here the addressee is an adult.

Common Mistakes

Excuse me babe, where is the station?' (to a stranger on the street)
Excuse me, where is the station?
Calling a stranger 'babe' often sounds disrespectful, especially from a man to a woman he doesn't know.
My babe is two years old and very cute.
My baby is two years old and very cute.
When talking about a real child, use 'baby', not the term of endearment 'babe'.

3. someone — typically a woman in her teens or twenties — whom the speaker finds ph

3.nounC1
Definition

someone — typically a woman in her teens or twenties — whom the speaker finds physically very good-looking; an informal, slangy label that can sound rude.

Example

Jake nudged his friend and whispered, "That girl in the red dress is a total babe."

pattern: 'a (total/real) babe'

The actor was a real babe in his twenties and still has thousands of fans.

pattern: 'a real babe'

Common collocations
  • a total babe
  • a real babe
  • what a babe
  • Hollywood babes
Synonyms
  • hottie

    very informal slang, similar feel

  • stunner

    more about being beautiful, less sexualized

  • looker

    old-fashioned slang for a good-looking person

Grammar Patterns

a real babe

what a babe

Usage Note

Slang and judging-by-looks; many people, especially women, find it sexist or rude when used to label them. Object-focused (talking about someone), unlike sense 2 which is vocative (talking to someone you love).

Common Mistakes

Good morning, babe!' (said to your boss in the office)
Good morning, Paloma!
At work, never call a colleague a 'babe'; it sounds unprofessional and can be seen as harassment.
Idioms

a babe in arms

idiom

A very young baby who is not yet able to walk.

Maya held her cousin, a babe in arms, at the family picnic.

The photo shows my grandmother as a babe in arms in 1950.

out of the mouths of babes (and sucklings)

idiom

Used when a young child says something surprisingly wise or intelligent.

When four-year-old Leo said, "Love is sharing," we thought, out of the mouths of babes.

Out of the mouths of babes: my daughter just explained why honesty matters.

babe — idiom

Word family

  • baby
    nounA1
  • babyish
    adjectiveC1
  • babyhood
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

All five words work as pet names you call a romantic partner, but they have different flavours. 'Babe' and 'baby' feel young, casual, and slightly playful — typical of dating couples and used a lot in text messages. 'Honey' is the warm, everyday American choice, comfortable for long-term partners and even older married couples. 'Darling' sounds a little more polished and is often heard in British English, sometimes also from grandparents to grandchildren. 'Sweetheart' is gentle and old-fashioned in feel, common from parents to children too. So a teen might text "Miss you, babe," while a husband of forty years might say, "Pass me the salt, honey," and a grandmother might call a small visitor "sweetheart."

babe ↗baby ↗honey ↗darling ↗sweetheart ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • hey babe
  • thanks babe
  • what a babe
  • a total babe

Prepositions

  • babe in arms

Etymology

Middle EnglishModern English

'Babe' is an old shortened, baby-talk form of 'baby', recorded in English from around the 14th century. It started out simply meaning 'small infant', the meaning still found in carols and old poems. From the early 1900s in American slang it widened to mean a sweetheart you call by a pet name, and from the mid-20th century it took on the extra slang sense of an attractive young person.