indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires.
indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse
pamper implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect.
pampered by the amenities of modern living
humor stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims.
humored him by letting him tell the story
spoil stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering.
foolish parents spoil their children
baby suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude.
babying students by grading too easily
mollycoddle suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare.
refused to mollycoddle her malingering son
Examples of pamper in a Sentence
They really pamper their guests at that hotel.
She pampered herself with a day at the spa.
He was pampered all his life and doesn't know how to function in the real world.
Recent Examples on the WebOnce nestled under plush blankets, prepare to be pampered for hours with her signature Lift, Sculpt, and Slap technique.—Annie Blay, Allure, 11 Apr. 2024 With a fresh name, Fiona was pampered in her foster home.—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 8 Apr. 2024 Guests insistent on pampering in the property can arrange in-room massages and aromatherapy, or use the small but well-equipped gym.—Lauren Mowery, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Giving birth is believed to disturb the body’s equilibrium, so new mothers traditionally engage in zuo yue zi, or thirty to forty days of rest at home, pampered by family.—Clarissa Wei, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2024 Passengers have been unknowingly pampered by ride-share customs that adjust to their needs and bend the rules.—Corina Knoll, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Afterward, retreat to the 80,000-square-foot spa for some pampering, soak up the sun by one of the sparkling swimming pools, or sit down for a celebratory meal at one of several popular eateries like Carbone or Catch.—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2024 And like all Kimpton hotels, pets are not only welcome, they’re pampered here — a real plus for Kimpton as a whole.—Kim Westerman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Long known for being a more refined sister to wilder spots like Miami, this beach town on a barrier island boasts super-clear waters, some of the state’s best shopping, and hotels that are perfect for a long weekend of pampering.—Juliet Izon, Glamour, 20 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pamper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, probably of Dutch origin; akin to Dutch dialect pamperen to pamper
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