Definition of mollycoddle
:a pampered or effeminate man or boy
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Origin and Etymology of mollycoddle
Definition of mollycoddle
mollycoddled;
mollycoddling
\-ˌkäd-liŋ, -ˌkä-dᵊl-iŋ\
transitive verb
:to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence and attention
Examples of mollycoddle in a Sentence
The coach has been mollycoddling the team's star players.
refused to mollycoddle her malingering son and sent him off to school
Did You Know?
Coddling eggs is delicate business. You need to cook them slowly and gently, keeping the water just below boiling. Given how carefully you need to treat the eggs, it's not surprising that coddle, the name for the cooking process, developed the figurative sense "to pamper." Mollycoddle was formed by combining coddle with molly, a nickname for Mary. In its earliest known uses in the 1830s, mollycoddle was a noun, a synonym of our modern wimp, but within 30 years it was being used as the verb you're likely to encounter now.
First Known Use of mollycoddle
1864
mollycoddle Synonyms
Synonyms
cocker, coddle, cosset, dandle, indulge, baby, nurse, pamper, spoil, wet-nurseAntonyms
abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, manhandle, mishandle, mistreat, misuseRelated Words
cater (to), humor; content, delight, gladden, gratify, mother, oblige, please, satisfy; appease, mollify, pacify, placate, sootheNear Antonyms
control, discipline, restrain; oppress; neglect, overlook, slight; molest, outrage, violate; harass, harm, hurt, injure, oppress, persecute, torment, torture, victimizeSynonym Discussion of mollycoddle
indulge, pamper, humor, spoil, baby, mollycoddle mean to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings. indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires.
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- indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse
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- pampered by the amenities of modern living
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- humored him by letting him tell the story
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- foolish parents spoil their children
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- babying students by grading too easily
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- refused to mollycoddle her malingering son
MOLLYCODDLE Defined for English Language Learners
mollycoddle
verb
Definition of mollycoddle for English Language Learners
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: to treat (someone) with more kindness and attention than is appropriate : to treat (someone) too nicely or gently
Learn More about mollycoddle
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See words that rhyme with mollycoddle Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for mollycoddle Spanish Central: Translation of mollycoddle Nglish: Translation of mollycoddle for Spanish speakers
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