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 Then, don a fluffy robe and slippers and pad your way down to the full-service spa where you’ll be pampered like royalty. Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025 Pooches will be pampered with puppuccinos and even a doggy butler! Felicity Carter, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025 For over an hour, some area youngsters got a feel for the glitzy life, pampered with colorful manicures, glittered up and their face painted – of course with the option of adding a little bling – all as groovy music played at the Maine Park Leisure Center in Park Ridge. Karie Angell Luc, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2025 Want to hang out with George and Amal Clooney on Italy’s Lake Como and be pampered to the hilt, all for a good cause? Nick Vivarelli For Variety, Robb Report, 13 Mar. 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
  • For those who like to indulge, the in-room mini bar offers a diverse selection of beverages, including the Seychelles' national spirit: Takamaka rum.
    Jason Chau, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2025
  • Wedding photos are taken while the groom indulges a major secret.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • At this historical moment, middle- and upper-class European women were increasingly urged to nurse their own babies for growing fear that wet nurses—usually of lower social rank, and sometimes another race—contributed to infant mortality.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 13 Mar. 2025
  • With Concerning Elbow Injury Rafael Devers Injury: Alex Cora Gives Concerning Update On Red Sox Star Devers has been nursing a shoulder injury which hampered him in 2024.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 12 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pamper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pamper. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pamper

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