mollycoddle

[ mol-ee-kod-l ]

/ ˈmɒl iˌkɒd l /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mollycoddle ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a man or boy who is used to being coddled; a milksop.

verb (used with object), mol·ly·cod·dled, mol·ly·cod·dling.

to coddle; pamper.

Nearby words

mollusks, mollweide projection, molly, molly maguire, molly miller, mollycoddle, mollyhawk, mollymawk, molniya, molnár, moloch

Origin of mollycoddle

First recorded in 1825–35; Molly + coddle

SYNONYMS FOR mollycoddle

2 spoil, indulge, cosset.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR mollycoddle ON THESAURUS.COM

Related forms

mol·ly·cod·dler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for mollycoddle

The Mollycoddle also despises the Red-blood, but he cannot do without him.
Appearances|Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson
To which Steve cheerfully made answer that even a mollycoddle could be decent at times!
Left End Edwards|Ralph Henry Barbour
If you want him to be a man, don't begin by making a mollycoddle of him.
Life and Gabriella|Ellen Glasgow
No mollycoddle—but a roaring, six bottle fellow—with a big brain and a scrupulous sense of honor.
By Advice of Counsel|Arthur Train

But the foreman was no mollycoddle, and with one lightning-like motion unlimbered his .45 and began to shoot.
The Free Range|Francis William Sullivan

British Dictionary definitions for mollycoddle

mollycoddle

/ (ˈmɒlɪˌkɒdəl) /

verb

(tr) to treat with indulgent care; pamper

noun

a pampered person

Derived Forms

mollycoddler, noun

Word Origin for mollycoddle

C19: from molly ² + coddle

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012