Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To treat with excessive indulgence.
  • transitive verb To give in to; gratify.
  • transitive verb Archaic To indulge with rich food; glut.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To treat luxuriously; indulge with rich food or with luxurious ease and comforts; gratify to the full with whatever delights or ministers to ease and luxurious living.
  • To indulge one's self.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To feed to the full; to feed luxuriously; to glut.
  • transitive verb To gratify inordinately; to indulge to excess.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To treat with excessive care, attention or indulgence.
  • verb dated To feed luxuriously.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb treat with excessive indulgence

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English pamperen, probably of Low German origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English pamperen ("to cram with food"), from Middle Dutch *pamperen (“to cram with food”), frequentative of *pampen (“to stuff”), from Proto-Germanic *pampōnan (“to swell”), from Proto-Indo-European *bamb- (“round object”). Cognate with Middle Low German pampen ("to stuff oneself"), German dialectal pampfen ("to cram"), Danish dialectal pampe ("to boast, brag").

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Examples

  • I had been putting it off, but I knew that if there was a time to "pamper" myself, it was now.

    Archive 2008-06-01 2008

  • He started to wire her money so that she could "pamper" herself and said things that made her feel "special."

    Judith Acosta: Turned Against Our Natures: When Good People Do Bad Things Judith Acosta 2010

  • I had been putting it off, but I knew that if there was a time to "pamper" myself, it was now.

    What to Buy Wednesday - Prenatal Massage & Yoga 2008

  • He started to wire her money so that she could "pamper" herself and said things that made her feel "special."

    Judith Acosta: Turned Against Our Natures: When Good People Do Bad Things Judith Acosta 2010

  • Five: Running with Greg's use of the word "pamper," McCain's sense of manhood is threatened by being Mr. Cindy McCain (they are her houses) and the POW narrative restores this idea that yes, gawddamit, I'm a man's man.

    McCain Himself Invokes POW Past To Deflect Criticism Of Houses Gaffe 2009

  • Whilst it is most important that nothing should be done to give colour to the idea sedulously promoted by the Hindu politician that Government intend to favour, or, as he generally puts it, to "pamper," the

    Indian Unrest Valentine Chirol 1890

  • Dogs are not little furry people, and much of what humans do to "pamper" their dogs is unhealthy and makes them miserable rather than happy.

    MetaFilter 2010

  • On Thursday, Feb. 5, Canine to Five is hosting a small dog "pamper" party to debut its new small dog area.

    Model D 2009

  • A couple of local businesses are trying to provide options for parents to "pamper" their babies and go green at the same time.

    News Review - Top Stories 2009

  • "When big schools come and you visit, they show you what they are made of and they kind of pamper you, and it's nice to have big schools fighting over you, so it's made me love it."

    unknown title 2009

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  • Such a state would notionally take the divided citizens of the Israeli state—which is democratic in many respects, but pampers rabbinic theocrats and nationalistic populists—and jam them together with residents of the Palestinian territories, also divided, with a majority too accustomed to authoritarian leaders, and who take the Islamic faith, clan loyalties, and regional Arabism for granted.

    February 9, 2018