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 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 The hotel was within walking distance of the slopes and provided amenities aimed at pampering the upper-middle-class families who vacationed there. Ben Hubbard, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025 The owners can spend hours relaxing and pampering in the space, said designer Andrew Winch. Katia Damborsky, Forbes, 21 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
  • The national community could be knit together without indulging the chauvinism of belligerence.
    Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2025
  • And sure, while indulging ourselves with a $400 tin of caviar isn’t exactly akin to buying a tube of lipstick for most of us, the sentiment is valid.
    Allyson Reedy, The Denver Post, 19 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • What's next: The company and the court will face an uphill climb to nurse the company back to health in an environment where investors have soured on electric vehicles and companies have pulled back on their EV plans.
    Michael Flaherty, Axios, 19 Feb. 2025
  • That’s so her milk won’t be wasted nursing her children.
    Michael Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pamper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pamper. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.

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