changeling

noun

change·​ling ˈchānj-liŋ How to pronounce changeling (audio)
Synonyms of changelingnext
1
archaic : turncoat
2
: a child secretly exchanged for another in infancy
3
archaic : imbecile
changeling adjective

Examples of changeling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The trows might steal you away and leave a changeling in your place. Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025 Like a changeling—a motif that recurs throughout the novel—the old narrator has been taken and replaced by someone new. Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 25 Sep. 2025 What do the Krampus, a horde of undead elves, bloodthirsty changelings, and William Shatner have in common? Huntley Woods, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024 The story of the changeling that Alice A referenced earlier in the series focused on a family putting a baby into a fire to bring their mother back. Erin Qualey, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2024 See All Example Sentences for changeling

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of changeling was in 1534

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Changeling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/changeling. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

changeling

noun
change·​ling ˈchānj-liŋ How to pronounce changeling (audio)
: a child secretly exchanged for another in infancy

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