Meaning & use
to coddle someone
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Meanings
phrasetransitive
To treat someone in an overprotective, indulgent way, keeping them from difficulty or discomfort.
Grammar: The verb 'coddle' takes a direct object, so the person being protected comes right after it: coddle a child, coddle a patient.
Patterns
- coddle someone
- coddle a child
- coddle someone too much
- be coddled by someone
My grandmother coddled me all summer, bringing me tea before I even asked.
Some coaches coddle their star players and never criticize them.
He was coddled as a boy, so he found the army training a shock.
phrasetransitivedisapproving
To protect someone from growing independent by doing everything for them.
Grammar: Often used with disapproval, suggesting the person should be allowed to manage alone; compare 'support someone', which sounds positive.
Patterns
- coddle someone
- stop coddling someone
- coddle a young person
If you coddle teenagers, they never learn to handle money.
Critics say the school coddles students instead of preparing them for work.
Her parents coddled her so much that she could not cook a simple meal.
Word forms
| third person singular | coddles |
|---|---|
| past tense | coddled |
| past participle | coddled |
| -ing form | coddling |
Common combinations
- coddle a child
- Relatives warned her not to coddle the child after his illness.
- coddle someone too much
- You coddle him too much, and he expects everyone to help him.
- be coddled by someone
- He was coddled by his older sisters until he left home.
- stop coddling someone
- The manager told the team to stop coddling the new intern.
- coddle the sick
- Nurses should care for the sick without coddling the sick.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pamper
- Pamper suggests giving treats and luxury, while coddle stresses shielding someone from effort or hardship.
- mollycoddle
- This is a stronger, often mocking word for protecting someone too much; coddle is the more common, neutral choice.
- baby
- Baby is informal and criticizes treating an adult like a small child; coddle can also be used about children themselves.
- overprotect
- Overprotect is more formal and focuses on safety risks, whereas coddle focuses on comfort and avoiding effort.
Opposites
Word family
- coddled adjective
- Describing someone who has been protected too much and may lack independence.
- coddling noun
- The act of protecting or indulging someone excessively.
- mollycoddle verb
- A stronger verb meaning to treat someone with excessive care and attention.
Commonly confused: to coddle someone or cuddle? to coddle someone or cuddle up?
to coddle someone vs cuddle
Cuddle means to hold someone closely with affection, while coddle means to protect or indulge them; the sounds are similar but the meanings are quite different.
to coddle someone vs cuddle up
This phrasal verb describes getting comfortable next to someone, not shielding them from difficulty.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'to coddle someone' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Coddle' needs a direct object, so 'coddles her younger brother' is correct. Option 3 wrongly adds 'to', and options 1 and 4 confuse 'coddle' with 'cuddle', which means to hold someone affectionately.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to coddle someone”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.