MOTHERING Synonyms: 75 Similar and Opposite Words

mothering 1 of 2

noun

as in motherhood

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mothering

2 of 2

verb

present participle of mother

as in having

to bring forth from the womb I hope to mother at least one child

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in nursing

to attend to the needs and comforts of mothered the patients with chicken soup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of mothering

Noun

The cultural ascendance of intensive mothering, in which mothers are deemed entirely responsible for their children’s well-being and success, has upped the ante. — Marianne Cooper, Time, 5 Aug. 2026 To make their point perfectly clear, women are sharing photos of themselves breastfeeding in front of Old Masters paintings in museums that depict the very same mothering act. — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 July 2026 Yet the history of motherhood has remained largely untold, and the narrative is not often driven by the people who do the actual mothering. — Holly Corbett, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 Each statue the perfect epitome of silent, mothering, virginal womanhood that Ireland had come to worship. — Literary Hub, 8 May 2026 Suzanne O’Donnell, an accomplished regional theater actor with a lot of Shakespeare on her resume, plays Penrose as both a warm mothering figure to these two occasionally babyish men but does not downplay the character’s pragmatic side. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2026 For almost a century, since the dawn of mass screen entertainment, society has passed through waves of panic over media’s effects on children, which have often coincided with panics over the effects of various kinds of mothering. — Jean Garnett, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2026 In response to the mothering of a sister, a brother has options—resist, lash out, put up with it, become utterly dependent on it. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 Kate had changed her hair into a stylish bob — but apparently hadn’t updated her mothering skills — two years later when, in the sequel, Kevin again was discovered missing, at the Miami airport. — Jocelyn Noveck, Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2026

Verb

Somehow mothering four children, leading a massive pop resurgence, and still making time for a fun night with her girlfriends for a glass of wine (or seven). — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026 Key strands of the film are about mothering with laser focus on the parents played by Okonedo and Mallen. — Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026 Really, the album is about tiring of mothering men who are great in bed but lack crucial social skills. — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025 And as the following selections from the archives of The Christian Science Publishing Society show, prayer can bring out more of how God is mothering, comforting, and preserving us right here and now. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 8 May 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mothering

Noun

Despite having health insurance, her coverage does not fully pay for her care, leaving her with substantial medical bills while balancing motherhood and running her practice.

— Tania Francois, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
What’s one thing you’re obsessed with right now that has nothing to do with motherhood?

— Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of motherhood

Verb

Apparently, having players allegedly help bettors cash massive parlays wasn't exactly great for business.

— Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026
In the meantime, posting online brings the risk of having jokes ripped off not just once, but an indefinite amount of times, across accounts, and by all kinds of different bots.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of having

Verb

Orlando has spent decades nursing an enormous inferiority complex to the bigger, older, richer, and more historically relevant cities in Florida, the Southeast, and the East Coast.

— Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Holmes, who is still nursing the younger of the couple’s two small children, is filing challenges to her conviction and taking calls about what to expect in prison.

— Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of nursing

Noun

Cleared for sale in Europe in 2025, OdonAssist is now used in maternity hospitals in seven European countries, and more than 600 babies have been delivered with it, according to the company.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Canadian singer Keshia Chanté dispelled the rumors of Drizzy being the father of her baby after speculation continued to mount following her maternity photo shoot landing on social media.

— Michael Saponara, Billboard, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of maternity

Verb

The three colors are mixed in different combinations and ratios, producing 16 different shades.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 19 Oct. 2026
Deep underground, iron-rich rocks could hold the key to producing hydrogen at a fraction of the cost of conventional fuels.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of producing

Verb

Rodriguez explains that, in many ways, the aftermath of the hurricane sparked arguments on both sides that were necessary to begin healing the tension.

— Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Her path crosses with that of Inocência, an enslaved Black woman who possesses healing knowledge, knows the land, and devises her own strategies of resistance.

— Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of healing

Verb

Belting out random songs while delivering high-level physical comedy and acting takes skill.

— Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Higher yields in the bond market push downward on prices for all kinds of stocks, and the main way companies can offset that is by delivering bigger profits.

— Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026