baby
baby — noun
1. a child in the first year or two of life, before they can walk on their own or s
a child in the first year or two of life, before they can walk on their own or speak in full sentences.
Mei rocked the baby in her arms until he fell asleep.
rock + the baby (in arms)
Lucas and Priya are expecting their first baby in March.
expecting + a baby (pregnancy)
Anna's baby smiled at her grandmother and waved a tiny hand from the high chair.
Most babies start to crawl at about eight months old.
babies + start to + verb
Daniel changed the baby's diaper and warmed a fresh bottle of milk.
- newborn baby
- premature baby
- rock the baby
- feed the baby
- the baby is sleeping
- infant
more formal or medical; common in clinics and official forms
- newborn
specifically a baby in the first weeks after birth
- little one
warm, informal; often used by parents and relatives
- adult
fully-grown person, opposite end of the age scale
Grammar Patterns
have a baby
newborn baby
Usage Note
Often used with possessives or articles (the baby, our baby, her baby). 'Baby' can be paired with names of family roles (baby brother, baby sister) — those are the noun followed by another noun, not the adjective sense.
Common Mistakes
2. a recently born or very young animal that still depends on its mother for food a
a recently born or very young animal that still depends on its mother for food and protection.
The baby elephant stayed close to its mother as the herd crossed the river.
baby + animal name
Ranger Diaz showed the children a baby owl that had fallen from its nest.
Baby kangaroos live inside their mother's pouch for several months.
The vet warmed a baby kitten with a soft towel and a heat lamp.
- baby elephant
- baby bird
- baby chick
- baby tiger
- feed a baby + animal
Grammar Patterns
a baby + animal name
Usage Note
For many species there is also a special name (kitten, puppy, calf, foal, cub, chick). 'Baby + animal' is the everyday way to refer to the young of any species, especially when the special term is unfamiliar to learners.
Common Mistakes
3. an older child or grown-up who cries, whines, or sulks over small problems, the
an older child or grown-up who cries, whines, or sulks over small problems, the way a much younger child would.
Don't be such a baby — the cut on your knee is tiny.
Don't be such a baby (rebuke)
Citlali called his older brother a baby for refusing to go on the roller coaster.
The team captain told the players to stop acting like babies after a missed pass.
acting like a baby
After bursting into tears over a small tease, Lara worried her cousins now saw her as a baby.
be a baby (about something)
- be a baby about something
- act like a baby
- cry like a baby
- stop being a baby
- grown-up
as a contrast: 'act like a grown-up, not a baby'
Grammar Patterns
call somebody a baby
be such a baby
Usage Note
Used to criticise or tease, never as a compliment. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense applies to people clearly old enough to know better. The phrase 'cry baby' is a fixed insult that draws on the same idea.
Common Mistakes
4. within a family, team, or other close group, the person born last or admitted la
within a family, team, or other close group, the person born last or admitted last — for instance, the last-born among brothers and sisters, or the newest player on a sports team — affectionately kept as that label long after they have grown up.
At forty-two, Olivia is still the baby of the Hayashi family.
the baby of the family
Rookie pitcher Diego is the baby of the team and gets gentle teasing in the dugout.
the baby of the team
Among the five Watanabe siblings, twenty-eight-year-old Hiro is still the baby at family dinners.
the baby of the siblings
Grandma always saved an extra slice of cake for Tomás, the baby of her grandchildren.
- the baby of the family
- the baby of the group
- the baby of the team
- youngest
neutral and exact; without the affectionate tone
- eldest
the oldest member of the same group
Grammar Patterns
the baby of the family / team / group
Usage Note
Almost always appears with 'the' and 'of (a group)'. The person can be any age — what matters is being youngest within the named group. Distinguish from sense 1, which is about literal age.
Common Mistakes
5. a loving name people use for a partner, sweetheart, or romantic interest, often
a loving name people use for a partner, sweetheart, or romantic interest, often instead of using their first name.
Nia kissed her boyfriend's forehead and whispered, 'Goodnight, baby — drive safely.'
vocative use between partners
Aiden whispered, 'I missed you, baby,' as he hugged his wife at the airport.
On stage in Osaka, the singer dedicated the new song to his baby waiting back home in Brooklyn.
his/her baby = sweetheart
Hey baby, can you grab some milk on your way home?
- hey baby
- my baby
- love you, baby
- goodnight, baby
- honey
very common between partners; less sexual, also used to children
- sweetheart
warm and slightly old-fashioned; broader than romantic use
- darling
more British; can be romantic or merely friendly
Grammar Patterns
used as a vocative: Hey, baby
Usage Note
Strongly tied to romantic relationships. From a stranger — especially a man to a woman he doesn't know — it can sound rude or harassing rather than friendly. Use only with partners or in song lyrics.
Common Mistakes
6. a project, plan, or invention that one person started, cares about deeply, and f
a project, plan, or invention that one person started, cares about deeply, and feels personally responsible for, often as if it were their own child.
The community garden is Mrs. Camille's baby — she has been tending it for twenty years.
X is somebody's baby (project)
The new payment app was Rafael's baby, so he stayed late every night to fix the bugs himself.
Don't ask the director to cut the opening scene; that part of the film is her baby.
When Owen left the company, the recycling programme he had built — his baby — slowly fell apart.
- it's her baby
- his pet baby
- the project is somebody's baby
- brainchild
focuses on the idea or invention rather than ongoing care
- pet project
very close in meaning; emphasises personal favourite, not always created by the person
Grammar Patterns
somebody's baby = their project
Usage Note
Almost always preceded by a possessive (his / her / Nia's). The thing is usually something the person founded, designed, or championed against opposition. Carries warm, slightly protective feeling — using it about someone else's project can sound dismissive of your own role.
Common Mistakes
7. a machine, vehicle, weapon, or other object that the speaker thinks is impressiv
a machine, vehicle, weapon, or other object that the speaker thinks is impressive, powerful, or fun to use, talked about with pride or excitement.
Watch this baby fly — the new drone can stay up for forty minutes.
watch / look at / try this baby (object showcase)
Officer Kim patted the patrol car's hood and grinned: 'This baby does zero to sixty in five seconds.'
Paloma pulled an old guitar from its case and said, 'I bought this baby in Madrid in 1989.'
Once you fire this baby up, the whole barbecue is ready in ten minutes.
fire up + this baby (machine)
- this baby
- watch this baby
- fire up this baby
- drive this baby
Grammar Patterns
that baby = that object
Usage Note
Strongly informal and slightly masculine in flavour; often heard in adverts, sales pitches, and movie dialogue about cars, gadgets, and gear. Almost always with 'this', 'that', or 'these'.
Common Mistakes
to lose or get rid of something good or useful while trying to remove the unwanted parts.
Cancelling the whole training programme over one bad workshop is throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
Reform the rules where they fail, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.
to walk away from a problem or task and suddenly leave someone else to deal with it alone.
When the manager quit mid-project, she left her assistant holding the baby.
The two partners disappeared on holiday and left Henry holding the baby at the office.
sleep like a baby
idiomto sleep deeply and peacefully through the whole night.
After the long hike, Naomi slept like a baby until sunrise.
The new mattress is wonderful — I slept like a baby last night.
used to say that something is extremely easy to do, often unfairly so.
Beating the rookie team at chess was like taking candy from a baby.
For an experienced thief, picking that old lock was like taking candy from a baby.
If something is your baby, you created it and you are responsible for it and care about it a lot.
The new marketing campaign is Sara's baby, so she works on it every day.
This software project was my baby, and I was sad to leave it.
To sleep very deeply and peacefully.
After the long hike, Diego slept like a log for ten hours.
Did you sleep like a baby last night in the quiet hotel room?
baby — verb
1. to look after a child, teenager, or adult with more care and protection than the
to look after a child, teenager, or adult with more care and protection than they need, so that they cannot grow or learn to handle things on their own.
Sofia's parents still baby her, even though she is twenty-five and lives alone.
baby + somebody (over-protect)
Coach Park warned the captain not to baby the new players or they would never improve.
Stop babying your little brother — let him pour his own juice.
stop + babying + somebody
Ms. Alvarez worried that finishing every art project for her third graders would only baby them in the long run.
baby + somebody (over-help)
- stop babying somebody
- baby the children
- baby him too much
- coddle
very close synonym; equally negative
- spoil
focuses on giving too many things or too much freedom, not extra protection
- mollycoddle
more British, slightly dated; same idea, often used by older speakers
- toughen up
phrasal opposite: train someone to handle hardship
Grammar Patterns
baby + somebody
Usage Note
Negative in tone. The object is usually a person old enough to do the task themselves. Often appears with 'stop', 'don't', or 'too much' to suggest the speaker disapproves.
Common Mistakes
2. to use, drive, or operate something very gently so that it does not break, wear
to use, drive, or operate something very gently so that it does not break, wear out, or get damaged.
Mechanic Nora told Henry to baby the old engine on long climbs and not push the gas pedal hard.
baby + a machine (drive gently)
Captain Reyes had to baby the damaged jet back to Honolulu after one engine caught fire over the Pacific.
baby + a vehicle back (to safety)
Naomi babied her sprained ankle for two weeks before she returned to running.
If you baby this antique clock when you wind it, it will keep time for another century.
- baby the engine
- baby the car along
- baby an injured knee
- nurse
as a verb: 'nurse the engine along' — almost identical use for machines
- handle with care
common phrase rather than single verb; same idea
- thrash
to push a machine hard, the opposite of babying it
Grammar Patterns
baby + object
Usage Note
Object is usually a fragile machine, vehicle, or body part. Different from sense 1: here the careful treatment is sensible, not excessive. Often paired with 'along', 'back', or 'through'.
Common Mistakes
baby — adjective
1. used before the name of an animal to mean newly born or still very young.
used before the name of an animal to mean newly born or still very young.
A baby seal slid down the icy bank into the cold sea.
baby + animal noun
The visitors at the zoo crowded around the baby panda.
Baby turtles must walk to the ocean on their own as soon as they hatch.
Hannah found a baby rabbit hiding under the garden bench.
- baby seal
- baby panda
- baby turtle
- baby rabbit
- adult
as adjective: 'an adult lion' vs 'a baby lion'
Grammar Patterns
baby + animal noun
Usage Note
Only used directly before the noun (a baby fox), never after a verb like 'be' (not 'the fox is baby'). For many animals an alternative single word also exists (cub, puppy, chick) — those are usually more natural in scientific or farming contexts.
Common Mistakes
2. placed before a noun to mark someone or something as connected to an infant: a n
placed before a noun to mark someone or something as connected to an infant: a newborn's sex (baby boy, baby girl), a younger sibling kept as a family label (baby brother, baby sister), or items designed for infants (baby clothes, baby food).
Aunt Linh held her baby niece in a soft pink blanket for the first time.
baby + niece / nephew
The Patel family welcomed a baby boy on Saturday morning.
welcome + a baby boy
Eli reads a picture book to his baby sister every night before bed.
baby sister / baby brother
Grandpa Joe filled the spare drawer with baby clothes and tiny socks before Lucia's first child arrived.
baby clothes (items for infants)
- baby boy
- baby girl
- baby brother
- baby sister
- baby clothes
Grammar Patterns
baby boy / baby girl / baby brother
Usage Note
Restricted to attributive position before a noun. With family terms (baby brother, baby sister), the meaning is 'youngest', so the person can still be called this once grown — Mira's baby brother may now be eighteen.
Common Mistakes
3. (of vegetables) grown on purpose to stay small and tender, sold as a separate pr
(of vegetables) grown on purpose to stay small and tender, sold as a separate product rather than a young version of the regular crop.
Chef Renato tossed baby spinach with olive oil, lemon, and shaved parmesan.
baby + vegetable name
The salad bar offered baby carrots, sliced cucumber, and roasted beetroot.
Akiko grilled baby corn and bell peppers on bamboo skewers.
Baby tomatoes are sweeter than the larger ones and burst easily in the mouth.
- baby corn
- baby carrots
- baby spinach
- baby tomatoes
- baby potatoes
Grammar Patterns
baby + vegetable name
Usage Note
Very common in supermarket and menu language: baby corn, baby carrots, baby spinach, baby tomatoes. The vegetables are not 'young' in the sense of unripe — they are mature crops of a small variety.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- babyishadjectiveC1
- babyhoodnounC1
- babysitverbB1
- babysitternounB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
All five words name young human beings, but they pick different stages and tones. 'Baby' is the everyday word for a child too small to walk or talk on its own; it is warm, neutral in register, and used by parents, friends, and strangers alike. 'Infant' covers roughly the same age range but sounds formal or medical — you read it on hospital charts and government forms, not in lullabies. 'Newborn' narrows the focus to the first weeks after birth, often emphasising fragility. 'Toddler' begins where 'baby' ends, naming a child of about one to three who has just learned to walk. 'Child' is the broad umbrella term for anyone from infancy to early teens. Compare: 'The baby is sleeping' (cosy, home), 'The infant was admitted at 03:14' (clinical), 'Our newborn weighed 3.2 kg' (very recent birth), 'The toddler ran across the room' (already mobile).
Common collocations
Nouns
- baby boy
- baby girl
- baby brother
- baby sister
- baby clothes
- baby food
- baby bottle
- baby steps
Phrases
- have a baby
- expecting a baby
- the baby of the family
- sleep like a baby
- baby on board
Prepositions
- with (a baby)
- for (the baby)
- of (a group)
Etymology
First recorded in late Middle English (around 1300) as a shortened, affectionate form of 'babe', which itself was probably an imitation of the early sounds 'ba-ba' that small children make. The added '-y' is the same diminutive ending found in words like 'kitty' and 'doggy', adding warmth. The verb sense ('to baby someone') appeared centuries later, in the early 1700s, by treating the noun as an action: to treat a person the way one would treat a baby.