hothouse flower
The term "hothouse flower" metaphorically describes a person who is delicate and overly protected, similar to a plant that thrives only in controlled environments.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
C1Social
(figurative, informal)A person who is delicate and requires special care due to being overly protected.
Example
- She was such a hothouse flower that the slightest criticism would upset her.
- He's a hothouse flower, unable to handle the pressures of a regular job.
B2Botany
(technical)A plant grown in a controlled, artificially heated environment.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "hothouse flower":