little emperor
1
8.5
- noun
- Offensive
:
niño mimado
- Many parents worry that their children will become little emperors who expect everything to be given to them.
Examples
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In recent years, some experts have described the phenomenon of little emperors as a result of overindulgent parenting styles.
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Today's little emperors will spend their most productive years taking care of their parents.
Academic text (2011) -
Another implication of the one-child policy is what's referred to as the "little emperor" syndrome.
Blog text (23) -
It is important that some family guidelines are set for this so that it remains a fun game and not something that might turn children into "bossy little emperors."
Blog text (28) -
It's just a big old cold house, constantly depressed adults, obnoxiously behaving infants with a "Little Emperor" syndrome, and not a single friend around to hang out with.
Blog text (8) -
Teachers often face challenges when dealing with little emperors who refuse to accept authority and demand special treatment.
How Spoiled
- Offensive
1
8.5
- Offensive
168
4.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and predictably derived from combining 'little' (a child) with 'emperor' (a sovereign): the image of a child acting like a ruler clearly implies being indulged, demanding, or spoiled. This straightforward metaphorical composition follows common adjective+noun patterns and is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
The phrase little emperor comes from China, where the little child was treated like an emperor and given lots of attention and gifts by the family. So, little emperor means a child who is 'spoiled' or who acts 'in charge'.