mollycoddle
/ˈmɑl.iˌkɑd.əl/verb
mollycoddle is spelled M-O-L-L-Y-C-O-D-D-L-E: 11 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 31 million words in written English, the 169,822nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, mollycoddle means “To be overprotective and indulgent toward; to pamper” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in mollycoddle?
| Letters | 11: M-O-L-L-Y-C-O-D-D-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 31 million words; the 169,822nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is mollycoddle?
Mollycoddle appears about once in every 31 million words in written English, the 169,822nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce mollycoddle?
- UK /ˈmɒl.ɪˌkɒd.əl/
- US /ˈmɑl.iˌkɑd.əl/
Mollycoddle has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-mollycoddle.ogg, En-au-mollycoddle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mollycoddle
- mollycoddles present, singular, he/she/it
- mollycoddling participle, present
- mollycoddled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mollycoddle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To be overprotective and indulgent toward; to pamper.
noun
- 1
archaicA person, especially a man or a boy, who is pampered and overprotected.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mollycoddle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to be overprotective and indulgent toward:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | couver, materner |
| German | verhätscheln |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does mollycoddle come from?
From molly + coddle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).