mollycoddle
verb🔊/ˈmɒlikɒdl/
🔊/ˈmɑːlikɑːdl/
(disapproving, becoming old-fashioned)Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they mollycoddle | 🔊/ˈmɒlikɒdl/ 🔊/ˈmɑːlikɑːdl/ |
| he / she / it mollycoddles | 🔊/ˈmɒlikɒdlz/ 🔊/ˈmɑːlikɑːdlz/ |
| past simple mollycoddled | 🔊/ˈmɒlikɒdld/ 🔊/ˈmɑːlikɑːdld/ |
| past participle mollycoddled | 🔊/ˈmɒlikɒdld/ 🔊/ˈmɑːlikɑːdld/ |
| -ing form mollycoddling | 🔊/ˈmɒlikɒdlɪŋ/ 🔊/ˈmɑːlikɑːdlɪŋ/ |
- mollycoddle somebody
to protect somebody too much and make their life too comfortable and safe 溺爱；宠爱 She was mollycoddled as a child. 她从小就被抚养。
Word Originmid 19th cent.: from molly ‘girl or prostitute’ (see moll) + coddle.