Synonym Chooser

How does the verb pamper contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of pamper are baby, humor, indulge, mollycoddle, and spoil. While all these words mean "to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings," pamper implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect.

pampered by the amenities of modern living

When is baby a more appropriate choice than pamper?

The meanings of baby and pamper largely overlap; however, baby suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude.

babying students by grading too easily

Where would humor be a reasonable alternative to pamper?

While the synonyms humor and pamper are close in meaning, humor stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims.

humored him by letting him tell the story

When can indulge be used instead of pamper?

While in some cases nearly identical to pamper, indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires.

indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse

When might mollycoddle be a better fit than pamper?

Although the words mollycoddle and pamper have much in common, mollycoddle suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare.

refused to mollycoddle her malingering son

When is it sensible to use spoil instead of pamper?

The synonyms spoil and pamper are sometimes interchangeable, but spoil stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering.

foolish parents spoil their children

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pamper The athletes are already pampered with scholarships, special accommodations, special meals, etc. Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2025 As far as spa-worthy products, grab the Austra Silk Eye Pillow to pamper yourself at home. Isabel Garcia, People.com, 29 Jan. 2025 Hilton’s recent 2025 Travel Trends Report reveals that more than 71% of travellers want to feel pampered whilst on holiday with many of the group’s brands now pivoting to offer elevated experiences. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025 The smart air purifier that pampers your feline friend LG's innovative AeroCatTower is a device that seamlessly blends pet comfort with air purification technology. Kurt Knutsson, Cyberguy Report, Fox News, 12 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pamper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pamper
Verb
  • Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
    Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
  • Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
    Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • In a 2018 interview with Stereogum, after announcing their disbandment, Minus the Bear elaborated on their decision to call it quits at the time, citing an uptick in life events, spending time with their families, facing differing creative attitudes, and indulging the possibility of new paths.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 4 Mar. 2025
  • As Jaclyn tries to encourage (mock?) divorcee Laurie into having a fling at the resort with one of the staff members, Laurie is visibly torn between indulging her own desires and proving her friends’ pity to be misplaced.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • One is being nursed back to health, but another was killed in the storm.
    Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The young Liu also nursed aspirations of becoming a writer and honed his literary craft in his off hours.
    News Desk, Artforum, 4 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pamper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pamper. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

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