namby-pambies

noun

plural of namby-pamby
as in cowards
a person without strength of character those namby-pambies at city hall are never going to get serious about our crime problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for namby-pambies
  1. cowards
  2. reeds
  3. jellyfish
Noun
  • In reality, the refs just do the bidding of the cowards behind the curtain.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 14 July 2026
  • These are American cowards that are rooting against our Country.
    — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Definition of cowards
Noun
  • Just water, the tips of reeds, a floating mat of palmetto thatching that might have been someone’s roof.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • For centuries, this was a world of reeds, sedge, eels, wildfowl, mist, and danger.
    — Rob Crossan, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 July 2026
Definition of reeds
Noun
  • Marc Brandes discovered freshwater jellyfish in the east pond at Freedom Park in Star.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 22 July 2026
  • Next up is the Open Sea exhibit, where Pacific mackerel circle and meticulously illuminated jellyfish pulsate.
    — Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 20 July 2026
Definition of jellyfish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

nakedness
namby-pambies
namby-pamby
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Namby-pambies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pambies. Accessed 29 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inveigle

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Your vs. You're: How to Use Them Correctly
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All