with kid gloves
6
7.3
- idiom
- Informal
:
con guantes de seda
- He always talks to her with kid gloves to avoid hurting her feelings.
- treat with kid gloves
- handle with kid gloves
They're going to treat her with kid gloves and even worse yet, create this new false narrative about who Kamala Harris is and to try to reshape her record.
- They're going to treat her with kid gloves and even worse yet, create this new false narrative about who Kamala Harris is and to try to reshape her record.
Examples
-
They don't want to be treated with kid gloves.
-
Treating her with kid gloves at this point is absurd.
Blog text (15) -
My father always said we had to "treat her with kid gloves."
Fiction book (1991) -
"Claims he has to handle you with kid gloves..."
Fiction book (1995) -
I have been treating you with kid gloves your entire life.
-
Dad treats Mom with kid gloves.
Fiction book (1994) -
After all, people only treat you with kid gloves when they respect you as someone capable of being treated like an adult.
Blog text (17) -
He's not gonna treat anyone with kid gloves.
-
I'll handle her with kid gloves if it'll make you happy.
-
Hey, don't feel like you gotta treat me with kid gloves, Cyn.
Synonyms
978
1.0
In a way that shows attention and caution to avoid mistakes or harm
372
1.0
To do something with little force to avoid hurting or making noise
70
2.3
To do something in a careful way to avoid danger or mistakes
26
5.5
In a way that avoids upsetting people when you talk to them
23
4.6
In a very careful, slow way to avoid damage or getting hurt
4
4.4
In a careful, kind way when talking to avoid hurting someone's feelings
1
8.3
To act carefully after thinking about possible problems and results
In a way that does not upset or hurt people
To act gently and carefully without using force
Antonyms
How Careful
- Informal
6
7.3
4
4.4
978
1.0
20
1.0
30
4.6
Surface Forms
Morphology
The idea of wearing soft 'kid' (soft leather) 'gloves' suggests gentle handling, so part of the meaning is derivable from the constituents. However the mapping from soft gloves to the abstract sense of treating someone tactfully is a metaphorical extension and depends on knowing 'kid' as a leather type (not 'child'), so it is not fully predictable to a B1 learner without prior exposure.
Etymology
With kid gloves comes from very soft gloves made from young goat skin called kid, which people wore to handle delicate things without damage. So, to treat someone with kid gloves means to deal with them very gently or 'carefully' to avoid upsetting them.