wrap in cotton wool: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  British EnglishAustralian EnglishNew Zealand Englishinformal
  • To protect someone excessively and overcautiously from perceived harm or difficulty, often to the point of inhibiting independence or resilience.
  • To treat someone with extreme care so as to prevent any physical or emotional risk, sometimes causing dependence or lack of experience.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Her parents always wrapped her in cotton wool, never letting her face any real challenges.

    Sus padres siempre la protegieron en exceso, sin dejarla enfrentar verdaderos desafíos.

  • The coach was accused of wrapping the players in cotton wool by not exposing them to tough matches.

    El entrenador fue acusado de sobreproteger a los jugadores al no exponerlos a partidos difíciles.

  • You can’t keep wrapping him in cotton wool forever; he needs to learn to handle setbacks.

    No puedes seguir protegiéndolo en exceso para siempre; necesita aprender a manejar los contratiempos.