Synonyms

coddle

American

[kod-l] / ˈkɒd l /

verb (used with object)

coddled, coddling

to treat tenderly; nurse or tend indulgently; pamper.

to coddle children when they're sick.

Synonyms:

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

coddle British

/ ˈkɒdəl /

verb

to treat with indulgence
to cook (something, esp eggs) in water just below the boiling point

"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

noun

dialect stew made from ham and bacon scraps

"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

Other Word Forms

coddler noun
uncoddled adjective

Etymology

Origin of coddle

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Does Prada want to coddle you in an unravelling world?

From Barron's • Feb. 26, 2026

The screenwriter goes out of their way to coddle the audience, showing them everything they just watched, but with an added layer of new information to fill in the gaps so the twist makes sense.

From Salon • Jan. 25, 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

I wish that, just this once, he would coddle me.

From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023