spoon-feed

spoon·feed
US/ˈspunˌfid/UK/ˈspuːnfiːd/

verb

To help somebody (usually a baby or elder) to eat using a spoon; to feed using a spoon.

“What do you mean "I don't know"? I'm practically spoon-feeding you the answer!”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbspoon-feed (third-person singular simple present spoon-feeds, present participle spoon-feeding, simple past and past participle spoon-fed)

present singular third person spoon-feeds · participle present spoon-feeding · participle past spoon-fed · past spoon-fed · alternative spoonfeed

  1. intransitiveTo help somebody (usually a baby or elder) to eat using a spoon; to feed using a spoon.
  2. transitiveTo overly pamper or indulge (someone), so that they do not (or because they failed to) act or think for themselves.

    I can help you with your homework, but you must understand the concept, because I will not spoon-feed you.

  3. transitiveTo give (something) in an overly pampering way, so that the recipients do not (or because they failed to) act or think for themselves.

    What do you mean "I don't know"? I'm practically spoon-feeding you the answer!

  4. ambitransitiveTo explain (something, to someone) in simple words; to explain (it, to them) in words of one syllable; to spell (it) out (for them).

Origin

From spoon + feed.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 用勺子餵 /用勺子喂, 溺愛 /溺爱
  • 用勺子餵 /用勺子喂 (yòng sháozi wèi)to help somebody to eat using a spoon
  • 溺愛 /溺爱 (nì'ài)to overly pamper or indulge someone
  • 嬌慣 /娇惯 (jiāoguàn)to overly pamper or indulge someone
  • 寵壞 /宠坏 (chǒnghuài)to overly pamper or indulge someone
  • 灌輸 /灌输 (guànshū)to deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
Finnish syöttää lusikalla, poispilata
  • syöttää lusikallato help somebody to eat using a spoon
  • poispilatato overly pamper or indulge someone
  • vääntää rautalangastato deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
Hungarian szájába rág, szájba rág
  • szájába rágto deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
  • szájba rágto deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
Portuguese dar de comer com colher, dar tudo mastigado
  • dar de comer com colherto help somebody to eat using a spoon
  • dar tudo mastigadoto overly pamper or indulge someone
  • mastigarto deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
Russian корми́ть ложкой, ба́ловать
  • корми́ть ложкой (kormítʹ ložkoj)to help somebody to eat using a spoon
  • ба́ловать (bálovatʹ)to overly pamper or indulge someone
  • не́жить (néžitʹ)to overly pamper or indulge someone
  • растолко́вывать (rastolkóvyvatʹ)to deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
  • разжёвывать (razžóvyvatʹ)to deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
Spanish dar de comer con cuchara, masticar
  • dar de comer con cucharato help somebody to eat using a spoon
  • masticarto deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
Swedish skedmata, mata
  • skedmatato help somebody to eat using a spoon
  • matato help somebody to eat using a spoon
  • skedmatato deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
  • daltato deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
  • klemato deliver information in as basic a manner as possible
Tagalog subo
  • suboto help somebody to eat using a spoon
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: spoon-feed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.