1
as in bland
lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character
she's such a namby-pamby nothing that it's no wonder she's never asked out
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
mocked namby-pamby intellectuals who endlessly debate the pros and cons of everything and invariably end up accomplishing nothing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in coward
a person without strength of character
those namby-pambies at city hall are never going to get serious about our crime problem
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Recent Examples of namby-pamby
John B. Judis, The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2023
Adjective
Walzer’s dissent was namby-pamby.
—John B. Judis, The New Republic, 19 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for namby-pamby
Adjective
-
Is paradise a bland suburbia with a quaint downtown selling specialty ice cream to be eaten under a nearby gazebo?—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
28 Jan. 2025
-
But the stories themselves are on the bland and predictable side, whether as individual pieces or combined together across these multiple genres.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Meta Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Newstead called the case weak and a deterrent to tech investment in a blog post on Sunday.—
Jody Godoy,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Dell Technologies’ balance sheet appears relatively weak.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
There is no way a coward like Musk is in a position to accuse Sen. Kelly of being a traitor.—
DP Opinion,
The Denver Post,
11 Mar. 2025
-
This is a cop novel that fully satisfies its genre expectations — chases, gun battles, sinister bad guys, questionable cops, cowards and heroes.—
Claude Peck,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
These anything but boring side dishes let the bounty of the season shine in new and exciting ways.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Take it from this guy, who bought the beautiful Starfield limited-edition Xbox controller, headset, and console wrap for over $200, only to play the game and dump it after 20 boring hours.—
Matt Gardner,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Lightweight Sweats Classic Zip Hoodie is incredibly soft and pairs beautifully with their ultra-soft ribbed pieces like the Ribbed Modal Body Long Sleeve.—
Sarah Boyd,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Crafted from lightweight, sturdy beechwood, this pro-kneading, lymphatic-draining tool is designed with soft, rounded edges that make for comfy gliding across your skin (go ahead and pair it with a serum or lotion for extra slip).—
Allure,
Allure,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Kelly, a bit of a spice wimp, needed sips of the sweet pickle lemonade to handle the heat.—
Kelly Tyko,
Axios,
3 Apr. 2025
-
But the character, in Groening’s view, turned out to be a wimp.—
Darryn King,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Bored of an increasingly insipid Premier League season?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
-
The framing, blocking, and overall visual grammar have a condescending air, as if directors have surrendered to some insipid idea of who their audience is.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
The fact these losers want to jail Andrew and Tristan Tate for preaching their version of traditional masculinity highlights the fact that these fascist feminists are fragile weaklings incapable of defending their position in the free marketplace of ideas.—
David Catanese,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2025
-
In Europe the obvious weaklings are Lancia, Alfa Romeo, and DS.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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