overprotect

O1V4E1R1P3R1O1T1E1C3T1

verb

To protect to an excessive degree; to coddle

Similar
motherfuss
OriginEnglish protect ← Middle English over- ← Old English ofer- →
Scrabble 18
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Meanings

verboverprotect (third-person singular simple present overprotects, present participle overprotecting, simple past and past participle overprotected)

present singular third person overprotects · participle present overprotecting · participle past overprotected · past overprotected

  1. To protect to an excessive degree; to coddle

Synonyms & antonyms

verbcare for like a mother

Similar
motherfuss
Broader
caregive care
Also see
fussmother

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*úp
  2. Proto-Indo-European*upér
  3. Proto-Germanic*uber
  4. Old Englishofer-
  5. Middle Englishover-
  6. Englishover-
  7. Englishprotect
  8. Englishoverprotect

From over- + protect.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan sobreprotegir
  • sobreprotegirProtect to an excessive degree
French surprotéger, hyperprotéger
  • surprotégerProtect to an excessive degree
  • hyperprotégerProtect to an excessive degree
German überbehüten
  • überbehütenProtect to an excessive degree
Portuguese superproteger
  • superprotegerProtect to an excessive degree
Spanish sobreproteger, hiperproteger
  • sobreprotegerProtect to an excessive degree
  • hiperprotegerProtect to an excessive degree
Cite this entry
APA

overprotect. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overprotect

MLA

“overprotect.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overprotect. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “overprotect,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/overprotect.

Source: overprotect on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.