Meanings
present singular third person dandles · participle present dandling · participle past dandled · past dandled
- transitiveTo move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play, usually said of a child.
You will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees.
1978, Bible, New International Version, Isaiah 66:122 more examples
the young mother sat [the infant] upright in her lap, and[…]dandled it with a gloomy indifference.
1891, Thomas Hardy, Tess of the d'UrbervillesHands grasped me like a doll, and as I dandled thus between the meretrices of Abaia, I was lifted from my broad-armed chair in the inn of Saltus; yet still, for perhaps a hundred heartbeats more, I could not rid my mind of the sea and its green-haired women.
1981, Gene Wolfe, chapter VIII, in The Claw of the Conciliator (The Book of the New Sun; 2), New York: Timescape, →ISBN, page 72 - transitiveTo treat with fondness or affection, as if a child; to pet.
The book, thus dandled into popularity by bishops and good ladies, contained many pieces of nursery eloquence.
1807 April, Francis Jeffrey, “Forbe's Life of Dr. Beattie”, in The Edinburgh Review2 more examples
[T]hey have put me in a silk night-gown and gaudy fool's cap, and make me now and then stand in the window with it. I am ashamed to be dandled thus, and cannot look in the glass without blushing to see myself turned into such a pretty little master.
1711 July 31 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “FRIDAY, July 21, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 113; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume II, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC“Mark,” said Gabriel, sternly, “now you mind this: none of that dalliance-talk—that philandering way—that dandle-smack-and-coddle style of yours—about Miss Everdene. I don’t allow it. Do you hear?”
1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC - obsoletetransitiveTo play with; to wheedle.
captaines, who notwithstanding that they are specially imployed to make peace thorough strong execution of warre, yet they doe so dandle their doings, and dallie in the service to them committed
1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande […], Dublin: […] Societie of Stationers, […], →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland […] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: […] Society of Stationers, […] Hibernia Press, […] [b]y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
Compare Scots dandill (“to dander; go about idly; move uncertainly; trifle”), English dialectal dander (“to wander about; talk incoherently; rave”), Middle Dutch dantinnen (“to trifle”) (from French dandiner (“to swing; waddle”)), German dändeln, tändeln (“to trifle, dandle”), Middle Dutch and Provincial German danten (“to do foolish things; trifle”), German Tand (“trifle, prattle”).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian дундуркам, глезя
- дундуркам (dundurkam)to move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
- глезя (glezja)to treat with fondness, as if a child
- приласкавам (prilaskavam)to treat with fondness, as if a child
Czech pohupovat, kolébat
- pohupovatto move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
- kolébatto move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
- houpatto move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
- hýčkatto treat with fondness, as if a child
French dodeliner, se trémousser
- dodelinerto move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
- se trémousserto move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
Greek ταχταρίζω
- ταχταρίζω (tachtarízo)to move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
Hungarian térden lovagoltat, ringat
- térden lovagoltatto move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
- ringatto move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
Māori rapoi, morimori
- rapoito move up and down on one's knee or in one's arms, in affectionate play
- morimorito treat with fondness, as if a child
Polish niańczyć
- niańczyćto treat with fondness, as if a child
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with dandle
Anagrams
Cite this entry
dandle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dandle
“dandle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dandle. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dandle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dandle.
Source: dandle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.