malcriar

Senses

1. 1.

   to spoil (a child)

   to raise a child indulgently without proper discipline

2. 2.

   to mistreat; to raise badly

   to bring up or treat inadequately or harshly

Examples

• "No debes malcriar a tu hijo con demasiados regalos."

  You shouldn't spoil your son with too many gifts.

• "Los abuelos tienden a malcriar a los nietos."

  Grandparents tend to spoil their grandchildren.

• "Si lo malcría desde pequeño, después tendrá comportamientos incorrectos."

  If you raise him badly from a young age, he'll have inappropriate behaviors later.

Usage

Common in Latin America and Spain, often used in parenting discussions. Closely related to criar (to raise). The prefix mal- negates the positive sense of proper upbringing. Can mean both "spoiling" (excessive indulgence) and "mistreating" depending on context.