baby
gb/bˈeɪbi/ us/bˈeɪbi/
A1
English
~ 900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
A very young human being
A very young child who has just been born or is not yet able to walk or talk much.
Usage pattern:
a [adjective] baby
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'baby' with 'child'; 'child' can refer to older kids, while 'baby' usually means under one or two years old.
Synonyms
infant (More formal and often used in medical or official contexts.)
Antonyms
adult (An adult is fully grown, the opposite of a baby.)
Collocations
newborn baby
|baby boy
|baby girl
|baby care
|baby clothes
Themes
family
|daily life
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The baby was sleeping peacefully in her crib.
- They brought their baby home from the hospital yesterday.
- He held the baby gently in his arms.
- The baby started crying when she was hungry.
Learner examples
- The baby is sleeping.
- She has a baby boy.
- I can see a baby in the stroller.
- The baby is crying.
Noun
informal
A2
relation
2
Affectionate name for partner
A sweet name people use for someone they love, like a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Usage pattern:
Hey, baby
Common mistake:
Learners may think it always refers to a child; in this sense it's for adults in a relationship.
Synonyms
darling (More traditional and slightly more formal.)
Collocations
hey baby
|love you baby
Themes
relationships
|emotions
|communication
Examples
- Hey baby, how was your day?
- I love you, baby.
- Baby, can you pass me the phone?
Learner examples
- Hi baby, how are you?
- I love you, baby.
- Baby, come here.
Verb
informal
B1
action
3
Treat too protectively
To care for someone too much, like they are a baby, even if they are not.
Usage pattern:
to baby [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'baby' as a verb with 'have a baby'; as a verb here it means 'treat like a baby', not 'give birth'.
Synonyms
pamper (Often implies giving too much comfort or luxury.)
Antonyms
neglect (To give too little care or attention.)
Collocations
stop babying me
|babying your kids
Themes
behavior
|relationships
|communication
Examples
- Don't baby me—I can take care of myself.
- She babies her son even though he's already ten.
- Stop babying your employees; let them solve problems themselves.
Learner examples
- Don't baby me.
- She babies her brother too much.
- He babies his dog.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
4
Something valued like a child
Something you love and care about very much, like it is your own child.
Usage pattern:
That [thing] is my baby
Common mistake:
Learners may think it refers literally to a child; here it's figurative for an object or project.
Synonyms
pride and joy (Emphasizes deep satisfaction and happiness from possession or creation.)
Collocations
my first car was my baby
|this project is my baby
Themes
emotions
|personal life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- This car is my baby—I’ve had it since college.
- The new app is her baby; she designed it herself.
- That guitar has been his baby for years.
Learner examples
- My car is my baby.
- This shop is his baby.
- Her idea is her baby.
Grammar
Dictionary form
baby
IPA
GB/bˈeɪbi/
US/bˈeɪbi/
Syllables & stress
baby (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (baby)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: baby
- Plural: babies
Verb
- Base: baby
- 3rd Person Singular: babies
- Present Participle: babying
- Past: babied
Word family
Forms
babies
noun
babying
verb
babied
verb
Core family
babysit
verb A2
babysitter
noun A2
Related words
babyish
adjective
Advanced or less common
babyhood
noun
Expressions
cry like a baby
1/kɹˈaɪ lˈaɪk ə bˈeɪbi/
fixed phrase
Cry loudly like an infant
To cry very loudly and without control, like a small child does.
Examples
- He cried like a baby when his team lost.
- She cried like a baby after watching the sad movie.
have a baby
1/hˈæv ə bˈeɪbi/
fixed phrase
Give birth to a child
To give birth to a child.
Examples
- She’s going to have a baby in June.
- They had their first baby last year.
like a baby
1/lˈaɪk ə bˈeɪbi/
fixed phrase
In the way an infant would
In the same way that a very young child does something, often sleeping peacefully or crying loudly.
Examples
- He slept like a baby after the long trip.
- She cried like a baby when she heard the news.
throw the baby out with the bathwater
1/θɹˈoʊ ðə bˈeɪbi ˈaʊt wˈɪθ ðə bˈæθwˌeɪtɚ/
idiom
Discard something valuable by mistake
To remove something good while trying to remove something bad.
Examples
- In trying to reform the system, they threw the baby out with the bathwater.
- Be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater when making changes.