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
-
Although delightfully sweet and fragrant when fresh, baked strawberries have a tendency to become watery and bland.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
-
Unlike Mario's revolutionary outing on the N64 with Mario 64, Yoshi's turn on that system was underwhelming at best, with unfocused and bland platforming.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
Typically, this imaging uses sensors that can pick up femtotesla or picatesla range of magnetic fields, weaker than even refrigerator magnets.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
22 May 2026
-
In some cases, value starts to soften not because the business is weak, but because the growth story is not fully proven.—
David Chapman,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
These are American cowards that are rooting against our Country.—
Khaled Wassef,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Adjective
-
As a means of conspicuous consumption the canon is poorly served, but as a destination to explore, as a complicated, contradictory, sometimes boring and often beautiful place, there can be much to be gained through a meander, a perusal, a stroll.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 May 2026
-
There are a lot of small, sincere plays that are also very boring.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Adjective
-
The rooms Rooms are decorated in a cool, muted Pacific Northwest palette—soft shades, brass accents, and heavy drapes that cut the light just right.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 May 2026
-
On Flight 12, however, the company planed to return Super Heavy a soft splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico rather than risk a recovery mishap that could damage the pad on the first flight of brand-new hardware.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
23 May 2026
Noun
-
And this name sounds like a wimp to me.—
Kathleen Perricone,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 May 2026
-
What unites these movements is a shared contempt for the moderate, who is dismissed as cowardly, unprincipled, or insincere: wimps who inexplicably hate winning.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
More boos followed after the final whistle with Slot’s side serving up another insipid home performance.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
-
Excusing them as means to achieve preferred policy outcomes is beyond insipid.—
Chris Stirewalt,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, some with weakened immune systems or certain conditions may have their immunity wane over time.—
Youri Benadjaoud,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
Salmonella is a group of bacteria that, when consumed in food or water, can cause serious and fatal infections in children, elderly people and individuals with weakened immune systems, according to the Cleveland Clinic.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 27 May. 2026.
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