milquetoast

1 of 2

noun

milque·​toast ˈmilk-ˌtōst 

: a timid, meek, or unassertive person

milquetoast

2 of 2

adjective

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

2

: 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

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

Noun

And Benjamin Cole is a likable milquetoast as Sarah’s original boyfriend, Chris. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026

By all accounts, being a milquetoast is a sort of vice—cowardice masquerading as prudence. — Nikhil Krishnan, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Adjective

In this bland, milquetoast world, freedom to express oneself through music is a big no-no. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 18 June 2026

His Comics Unleashed is a pretty milquetoast panel show, inoffensive to Presidents and advertisers alike. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Caspar Milquetoast, comic strip character created by H. T. Webster †1952 American cartoonist

Adjective

from Caspar Milquetoast — more at milquetoast entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for milquetoast

• diagnosed
• easternmost
• innermost
• lowermost
• milepost
• northernmost
• outermost
• rearmost
• southernmost
• uppermost
• uttermost
• westernmost

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