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
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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
-
Bad salad kits have sloppy cuts of vegetables, meager toppings and oily or single-note dressings that are either too salty or just plain bland.—
Jolene Thym,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
-
PetMD advises a bland, easy-to-digest diet made up of lean proteins such as chicken or turkey, simple carbohydrates like rice or potatoes, and low fat content.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The ultrarich formula uses amino acids to reinforce weak strands, glycerin to hydrate and soften, silicones to smooth the cuticle, and coconut oil to add more moisture and shine.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
China’s economy showed further signs of weakness last month, with key data Monday revealing factory output and consumption rising at their weakest pace for around a year.—
Nino Paoli,
Fortune,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
So this coward had to fire from outside of the church, through the church windows and into the church.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
28 Aug. 2025
-
According to Boxing called Davis a coward for his decision.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But Anderson also knows that the moral purity of revolutionaries gets boring pretty fast.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
18 Sep. 2025
-
However, the McCullum and Stokes selection wagon prefers fast wheels rather than those boring job specs, such as age and experience.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Athletique There is something edgy yet soft about a funnel-neck in a technical fabric—lean in and pair a wind- and water-resistant shell with trousers and sneakers for a touch of sport, or style it with a pencil skirt and kitten heels for a more feminine feel.—
Andrea Zendejas,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
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Swift wore Elson 4, the brand’s best-selling blue-red, but the bullet-proof formula comes in 12 beautiful hues ranging from a soft beige peach (Nude Cabaret) to a deep bronzed rose (Flesh 3).—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Wes Siler, our longtime outdoor lifestyle columnist, is a total wimp who obsessively pursues comfort in extreme environments.—
Wes Siler,
Outside,
27 Aug. 2025
-
The opposite of a wimp is a Superman, the comic book creation of writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Schuster.—
Richard Lederer,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 July 2025
Adjective
-
On the road, the Murano sidesteps the insipid CVT vibe of the past.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Callahan’s baritone is rich and full, but the rest of the instrumentation feels insipid.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
These symptoms are more likely to appear in kittens or felines with weakened immune systems.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
While most healthy people can recover in four to seven days without treatment, some vulnerable people, like children under 5, adults 65 and older, and those with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illness that requires medical treatment or hospitalization.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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