mollycoddle
/icons/point.icon 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.
e.g. indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse
PAMPER implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect.
e.g. pampered by the amenities of modern living
HUMOR stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims.
e.g. humored him by letting him tell the story
SPOIL stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering.
e.g. foolish parents spoil their children
BABY suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude.
e.g. babying students by grading too easily
MOLLYCODDLE suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare.
e.g. refused to mollycoddle her malingering son
verb with object
treat (someone) in an indulgent or overprotective way:
…を甘やかす
e.g. I found school very difficult, and realized I'd been mollycoddled at home
e.g. (as noun mollycoddling) : he was getting too old for such mollycoddling.
noun
an effeminate or ineffectual man or boy:
甘やかされた男; いくじなし
e.g. baseball is a game for red-blooded men and mollycoddles better stay out of it.
ORIGIN
mid 19th century: from molly ‘girl or prostitute’ (see moll) + coddle.