wrapped in cotton wool
Shielded from harm
To be wrapped in cotton wool is to be overprotected, shielded from any possible harm or discomfort.
The phrase evokes the image of a fragile object packed in soft material for safekeeping.
It typically carries a critical edge, suggesting that such excessive care prevents someone from developing resilience or experiencing normal life.
His parents kept him wrapped in cotton wool, and now he can't handle the slightest setback.
- mollycoddlingOverindulgent protective care
- shelteredKept safe from harm
- overparentingExcessive involvement in children's lives
- shieldHandheld defensive armor
- frailtyWeakness of body
hovering · babying · cocoon · safeguard · handle with care · velvet glove · pampering · indulging · cosseting · kid gloves · smothering · fussing · insulation · buffer · soft landing · delicacy · padding · susceptibility
wrapped in cotton woolthrown to the wolves
Abandoned to hostile forces
sink or swim · trial by fire · baptism of fire · school of hard knocks · hardened
wrapped in cotton woolfree-range
Not confined to enclosure
neglected · tiger parenting · hands-off parenting · parentified · abandoned
wrapped in cotton woolfree-range parenting
Child-rearing emphasizing independence
hands-off parenting · helicopter parenting · tiger parenting · authoritarian parenting · benign neglect
wrapped, wrapping, wrapper, wrappers, cotton, cottons, cottony, woolen, woolens