1To stroke or caress by gently moving the hand (or a soft object) over something, often to comfort or show affection.
犬の頭をやさしく撫でた。
I gently stroked the dog's head.
赤ちゃんの背中を撫でてあげると安心する。
Patting the baby's back calms them down.
彼女は猫を撫でながら話を聞いていた。
She listened while stroking the cat.
2To smooth or comb (hair) down; to make a surface lie flat or neat by running a hand or comb over it.
鏡の前で前髪を撫でつけた。
She smoothed down her bangs in front of the mirror.
風で乱れた髪を手で撫で直した。
He smoothed his wind-tousled hair with his hand.