baby
gb/bˈeɪbi/ us/bˈeɪbi/
A1
Inglés
~ 900
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
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.
Patrón de uso:
a [adjective] baby
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse 'baby' with 'child'; 'child' can refer to older kids, while 'baby' usually means under one or two years old.
Sinónimos
infant (More formal and often used in medical or official contexts.)
Antónimos
adult (An adult is fully grown, the opposite of a baby.)
Colocaciones
newborn baby
|baby boy
|baby girl
|baby care
|baby clothes
Temas
family
|daily life
|health
|body
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The baby is sleeping.
- She has a baby boy.
- I can see a baby in the stroller.
- The baby is crying.
Sustantivo
informal
A2
relation
2
Affectionate name for partner
A sweet name people use for someone they love, like a boyfriend or girlfriend.
Patrón de uso:
Hey, baby
Error frecuente:
Learners may think it always refers to a child; in this sense it's for adults in a relationship.
Sinónimos
darling (More traditional and slightly more formal.)
Colocaciones
hey baby
|love you baby
Temas
relationships
|emotions
|communication
Ejemplos
- Hey baby, how was your day?
- I love you, baby.
- Baby, can you pass me the phone?
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Hi baby, how are you?
- I love you, baby.
- Baby, come here.
Verbo
informal
B1
action
3
Treat too protectively
To care for someone too much, like they are a baby, even if they are not.
Patrón de uso:
to baby [someone]
Error frecuente:
Learners may confuse 'baby' as a verb with 'have a baby'; as a verb here it means 'treat like a baby', not 'give birth'.
Sinónimos
pamper (Often implies giving too much comfort or luxury.)
Antónimos
neglect (To give too little care or attention.)
Colocaciones
stop babying me
|babying your kids
Temas
behavior
|relationships
|communication
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Don't baby me.
- She babies her brother too much.
- He babies his dog.
Sustantivo
informal
B2
entity
4
Something valued like a child
Something you love and care about very much, like it is your own child.
Patrón de uso:
That [thing] is my baby
Error frecuente:
Learners may think it refers literally to a child; here it's figurative for an object or project.
Sinónimos
pride and joy (Emphasizes deep satisfaction and happiness from possession or creation.)
Colocaciones
my first car was my baby
|this project is my baby
Temas
emotions
|personal life
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- My car is my baby.
- This shop is his baby.
- Her idea is her baby.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
baby
AFI
GB/bˈeɪbi/
US/bˈeɪbi/
Sílabas y acento
baby (1 sílaba)
Stress on 1st syllable (baby)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: baby
- Plural: babies
Verb
- Base: baby
- 3rd Person Singular: babies
- Present Participle: babying
- Past: babied
Familia de palabras
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
Expresiones
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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.
Ejemplos
- 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.