petted
- 1Past participle of pet.
The pony had been petted by so many visitors that it no longer flinched at strangers.
Once the rabbit had been petted for a while, it relaxed in her lap.
Note
This form follows have and be (has petted, was petted), and it also slips into adjective use. A petted child is an indulged one, drawing on the dated meaning of pet, "to treat as a pet; to indulge." As an adjective it compares with more and most: a more petted favorite. The final t doubles before -ed, giving the same spelling as the simple past.
- 2Simple past of pet.
He petted the nervous horse slowly until its ears settled.
She petted the cat absently while reading her book by the window.
Note
The past tense carries every meaning of pet, so the sentence decides which one is meant. He petted the dog takes an object. The couple petted on the sofa is the informal, intransitive amorous use, which needs none. A reader of older prose may also meet an archaic petted that meant "sulked" rather than "stroked."
petted is a form of pet
pet, verb: To stroke or fondle an animal, typically with gentle movements of the hand. Full entry
- Spelling
- pet → petted: double the t, add -ed
- Sound
- The ending sounds like /ɪd/, an extra syllable.
Use it in a sentence
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