- past tense form of spoon-feed.
- past participle of spoon-feed.
spoon-fed
Americanadjective
-
fed with a spoon.
-
treated with excessive solicitude; pampered.
-
given no opportunity to act or think for oneself.
Having always been spoon-fed, I couldn't meet the challenge of college.
Etymology
Origin of spoon-fed
First recorded in 1900–05
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I spoon-fed the police," she explains with exasperation as she shows us print-outs of text messages and voicemails.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025
At a scoop shop in downtown Manhattan, a large white poodle was spoon-fed what appeared to be vanilla ice cream.
From New York Times ● May 16, 2024
I was largely content to live within those musically monolithic walls, supremely enjoying the fact that I'd been spoon-fed "In Utero" since I was in utero.
From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2023
These are sympathetic and moving sentiments to be sure, but being spoon-fed these messages isn’t all that interesting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
The blond-haired girl who’d spoon-fed me popcorn-flavored pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.
From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.