mamma's boy
1
8.1
- noun
- /ˈmæməʌz bɔɪ/
- Offensive
:
niño de mamá (ofensivo, informal)
- He is such a mamma's boy!
Examples
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The other children teased him for being a mamma's boy, but he didn't seem to mind.
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As an adult, he struggled to make decisions without his mother and was still called a mamma's boy by his friends.
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Everyone could tell that Jake was a mamma's boy because he called his mother several times a day.
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Jake is often called a mamma's boy by his friends.
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He is often teased by his friends for being a mamma's boy who can't make decisions without his mother's advice.
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Growing up, he was labeled a mamma's boy because he chose to spend most of his free time with his mother.
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Despite his age, some still see him as a mamma's boy due to his strong attachment to his mother.
Synonyms
21
7.2
A person who depends too much on their mother and does not make their own decisions
1
7.5
A man or boy who depends too much on his mother and cannot make decisions alone
Surface Forms
Morphology
mamma's + boy
The literal relationship 'a boy who belongs to/is closely associated with his mother' is directly derivable from 'mamma's' + 'boy', so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will understand the basic idea. However, the idiomatic evaluative sense — that he is excessively attached and lacking masculine independence — is a pragmatic, culture-linked inference not fully predictable from the parts, so the phrase is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Mamma's boy may come from the clear image of a grown man who still follows or depends on his mother, with mamma meaning mother and boy showing he acts like a child. So it means 'a man who is too attached to his mother'.