pet name

noun

A nickname, especially a name used by those in love with one another.

“My boyfriend won't let me call him by his pet name, Pookie, in public.”

Similar
hypocorismnickname
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Meanings

nounpet name (plural pet names)

plural pet names · alternative petname

  1. A nickname, especially a name used by those in love with one another.

    My boyfriend won't let me call him by his pet name, Pookie, in public.

    Synonyms: hypocorism, nickname

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see pet, name.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA nickname, especially a name used by those in love with one another.

Similar
hypocorismnickname

More synonyms by meaning

nouna name of endearment (especially one using a diminutive suffix)

Similar
hypocorism
Broader
name
Also see
caressing namehypocorism

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Ancient Greek ὑποκόρισμα, ὑποκοριστικόν
  • ὑποκόρισμα (hupokórisma)name of endearment
  • ὑποκοριστικόν (hupokoristikón)name of endearment
Bulgarian галено име
  • галено име (galeno ime)name of endearment
Chinese Mandarin 愛稱 /爱称, 昵稱
  • 愛稱 /爱称 (àichēng)name of endearment
  • 昵稱 (nìchēng)name of endearment
  • 小名 (xiǎomíng)name of endearment
Danish kælenavn
  • kælenavnname of endearment
Dutch koosnaam, troetelnaam
  • koosnaamname of endearment
  • troetelnaamname of endearment
  • vleinaamname of endearment
Esperanto karesnomo
  • karesnomoname of endearment
Finnish lempinimi, kutsumanimi
  • lempiniminame of endearment
  • kutsumaniminame of endearment
French petit nom
  • petit nomname of endearment
German Kosename, Lallname
  • Kosenamename of endearment
  • Lallnamename of endearment
Japanese 愛称, ペットネーム
  • 愛称 (aishō)name of endearment
  • ペットネーム (pettonēmu)name of endearment
Malay nama timang-timangan, nama manja
  • nama timang-timanganname of endearment
  • nama manjaname of endearment
Norwegian Bokmål kallenavn, kjælenavn
  • kallenavnname of endearment
  • kjælenavnname of endearment
Polish pieszczotliwe przezwisko
  • pieszczotliwe przezwiskoname of endearment
Russian ласка́тельное и́мя, уменьши́тельное и́мя
  • ласка́тельное и́мя (laskátelʹnoje ímja)name of endearment
  • уменьши́тельное и́мя (umenʹšítelʹnoje ímja)name of endearment
Swedish smeknamn
  • smeknamnname of endearment
Cite this entry
APA

pet name. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pet%20name

MLA

“pet name.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pet%20name. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pet name,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pet%20name.

Source: pet name on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.