overprotect

British  

/ ˌəʊvəprəˈtɛkt /

verb

1. (tr) to protect more than necessary, esp to shield a child excessively so as to inhibit its development

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Other Word Forms

• overprotective adjective

Explanation

When you overprotect someone, you baby or coddle them — you protect them too much. If your parents overprotect you, they never let you make mistakes or take risks. Overprotection comes from wanting to keep someone safe all the time, and it's particularly common for a parent to overprotect a child. No mom or dad wants to see their child get hurt, but when they overprotect, they make it impossible for their son or daughter to take the risks that teach them important life lessons. Overprotect and all its various forms were coined in the 1920s, in reference to parents and their children.

Example Sentences

“Maybe we have very fragile institutions and there is a tendency to overprotect them. Mature societies, after all, can deal with these kinds of criticisms without having to go to courts of law.”

From The Guardian • Feb. 19, 2021

“The people of God need their pastor to be close to them, not to overprotect himself. The people of God need their pastors to be self-sacrificing.”

From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2020

A pattern had also emerged that would carry on throughout Clinton’s public life: Her protectors would overprotect; her attackers would overattack.

From New York Times • Oct. 11, 2016

"I don't want to overprotect him, to keep asking him how he's doing."

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 15, 2011

They talked about how many parents overprotect, overindulge, and overschedule their kids—and how they can learn to chill out.

From Slate