overprotect
Shield too much
To overprotect is to shield someone—usually a child—from harm or difficulty to an excessive degree, preventing them from developing independence or resilience.
Overprotective parents hover anxiously, restricting normal activities out of fear: She overprotected her son so much he never learned to handle disappointment.
The impulse comes from love but can stunt growth.
Deprive of air
- helicopterRotary-wing aircraft
- hoverRemain suspended midair
- suffocateKill by blocking air
- babyVery young child
pamper · spoil · mollycoddle · cosset · dote · fuss · cling · envelop
smother
Deprive of air
- helicopterRotary-wing aircraft
- hoverRemain suspended midair
- suffocateKill by blocking air
baby · pamper · spoil · mollycoddle · cosset · dote · fuss · cling · envelop · nurture
control
Authority to direct
stifle · prohibit · curtail · suppress · shelter · inhibit · cloister · insulate · isolate · monitor
guard
Watchful defensive attention
barrier · shelter · secure · fortify · cocoon · cushion · wrap · insulate · screen · warn
overprotectneglect
Failure to provide care
ignore · abandon · underprotect · disregard · forsake
overprotective, overprotection, overprotected, overprotects, overprotecting, overprotectiveness