stepmotherly
stepmotherly Lexical Profile
stepmotherly Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Harsh, neglectful, or unfair in treatment, in the manner traditionally attributed to a cruel stepmother in folklore.
"The arts department complained of stepmotherly treatment when the university allocated the annual budget."
Relating to, characteristic of, or befitting a stepmother.
"She offered some stepmotherly advice to the teenager before his first day at the new school."
• adverb
In a harsh, neglectful, or grudging manner; like a stereotypical cruel stepmother.
"Historians noted that the distant province had long been governed stepmotherly by the central empire."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used figuratively to mean 'neglectful' or 'unfair,' this word relies on outdated folklore tropes of the 'wicked stepmother' and is generally considered offensive or dated in modern usage.