pamper

pamper — verb

1. to look after a person or animal in a way that goes beyond ordinary kindness — b

1.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to look after a person or animal in a way that goes beyond ordinary kindness — buying them little luxuries, doing things for them they could do themselves, and saying yes to almost every wish.

Example

Grandma pampered the twins with hot cocoa, fluffy blankets, and bedtime stories every Friday night.

pamper + somebody + with + nouns

After the long flight, Lina pampered herself with a bubble bath and a face mask.

reflexive: pamper oneself with [treat]

Common collocations
  • pamper yourself
  • pamper the children
  • pamper a pet
  • pamper guests
  • pamper somebody rotten
Synonyms
  • spoil

    very close in meaning, but 'spoil' more strongly suggests the recipient becomes badly behaved as a result

  • indulge

    more formal; focuses on saying yes to wishes rather than physical comforts

  • coddle

    stresses over-protection from hardship, often used disapprovingly of parents

  • cosset

    British, slightly literary; emphasises wrapping someone in soft care

Antonyms
  • neglect

    the opposite extreme — failing to give basic care

  • mistreat

    deliberately treat badly

Grammar Patterns

pamper + somebody

pamper + oneself

Usage Note

Object is usually a person or pet, never an abstract thing. Often carries a mildly negative tone when the recipient is an adult or a pet — suggesting they are being made soft or demanding by the over-care.

Common Mistakes

I pampered my new car every weekend.
I cleaned and waxed my new car every weekend.
'pamper' takes living recipients (people, pets), not objects.
The boss pampered the project with extra funding.
The boss showered the project with extra funding.
'pamper' is for caring for someone, not for resourcing a thing.

Word family

  • pampered
    adjectiveC1
  • pampering
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All five verbs describe giving someone more comfort, attention, or freedom than is strictly needed, but the flavour differs. 'Pamper' focuses on physical comforts — soft towels, treats, foot rubs — and is the most neutral of the five; spas and hotels happily advertise 'pamper packages'. 'Spoil' adds a stronger warning that the recipient will end up demanding or badly behaved: 'You'll spoil that child.' 'Indulge' is about saying yes to wishes ('she indulged his love of old films') and is the most formal. 'Coddle' implies over-protection from hardship and is usually disapproving of parents or coaches. 'Cosset' is British and slightly literary, picturing someone wrapped in soft care. Compare: a hotel pampers you, a grandparent spoils you, a friend indulges your taste in karaoke, a worried mother coddles her son.

pamper ↗spoil ↗indulge ↗coddlecosset

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • pamper yourself
  • pamper somebody rotten
  • a day of pampering

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle Low German / Middle DutchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Recorded in English from the late 1300s, 'pamper' first meant to feed someone too much rich food — a sense now obsolete. It is thought to come from a Low German or Dutch word related to 'pampe', meaning thick mash or porridge, the kind of soft food given to small children. By the 1500s the meaning had widened from over-feeding to over-caring in general, the sense used today.