coddle

American  

[kod-l] / ˈkɒd l /

verb (used with object)

coddled, coddling

1. to treat tenderly; nurse or tend indulgently; pamper.

   to coddle children when they're sick.

   Synonyms:

   spoil, humor, baby, indulge

2. to cook (eggs, fruit, etc.) in water that is just below the boiling point; cook gently.

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coddle British  

/ ˈkɒdəl /

verb

1. to treat with indulgence

2. to cook (something, esp eggs) in water just below the boiling point

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noun

1. dialect stew made from ham and bacon scraps

Other Word Forms

• coddler noun
• uncoddled adjective

Etymology

Origin of coddle

1590–1600; variant of caudle, v. use of caudle

Explanation

While it is okay for parents to coddle, spoil, or pamper a young child, it’s a little unnerving when parents coddle, or pamper adult children. And downright weird when adult children wear Pampers. Coddle is an old word. Originally, it meant to cook gently in water that is near boiling, as in coddling an egg. It most likely gained its association with pampering and taking care of someone via a drink made for invalids that was prepared by coddling. “Mollycoddle,” a synonym for coddle, originally meant a person who coddles himself, or an effeminate man.

Example Sentences

Does Prada want to coddle you in an unravelling world?

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

A good fit for: Cooks who don’t want to coddle their pans and don’t mind a little oil.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025

But when things are rough, we don’t have to coddle each other.

From Slate • Sep. 29, 2025

In a post on X, he added: "My job is to advance America's national interests, not waste taxpayer money or coddle anti-Americanism."

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2025

“Indeed I am, Brother Jerome. I have often warned you that you coddle the boy.”

From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz