1
of a person
: timid, meek, or unassertive
Do we really want a someone who is a milquetoast halfhearted candidate or someone who will defend the Constitution with every fiber of her being?—
Dana B. Orr
Dana B. Orr2
: lacking in character or vigor : wishy-washy
… after declining multiple opportunities to comment during the reporting of the story, he finally produced a most milquetoast statement Friday.—Jerry Brewer
Jerry Brewer
Did you know?
Why is it milquetoast, and not milk toast?
Caspar Milquetoast is a comic strip character created in 1924 by cartoonist Harold T. Webster. Beginning a few years after the character's debut, the term milquetoast came to describe a timid or meek person. Caspar's last name is fitting because milk toast is a weak, bland concoction of buttered toast served in a dish of warm milk.
Examples of milquetoast in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
Like Ray did for its generation, Sophia proves that one little book willing to fill every word with lightning is worth more than the milquetoast marketability of a thousand best sellers.
—Dan Leach
july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024
President Biden and Speaker McCarthy came to terms on a rather milquetoast bipartisan agreement to raise the debt ceiling.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for milquetoast
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Noun
The lyrics’ milquetoast moodiness may also contribute to the band’s listener numbers.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 4 July 2025
Like Ray did for its generation, Sophia proves that one little book willing to fill every word with lightning is worth more than the milquetoast marketability of a thousand best sellers.
—Dan Leach
july 3, Literary Hub, 3 July 2025
Adjective
McNairy convincingly plays a maddeningly milquetoast character whose indecision infuriates his wife and, by extension, the audience.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024
President Biden and Speaker McCarthy came to terms on a rather milquetoast bipartisan agreement to raise the debt ceiling.
—David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for milquetoast
Cite this Entry
“Milquetoast.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/milquetoast. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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