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
-
From a thriving artisanal craft tradition to a slate of luxury hospitality openings, Mallorca has a lot to offer these days to debunk its onetime reputation as a bland resort outpost.—
Elly Leavitt,
Vogue,
18 Mar. 2026
-
The show also features bravura performances from Mark McGrath and Pat O’Brien skewering their bland TV-presenter personas.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
An atmospheric river should track across California, even into southern California, by Tuesday, March 31, but is currently forecast to remain too weak to cause flooding issues, the WPC said.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
At the hospital in Dollow, mothers sat shoulder to shoulder on narrow beds holding frail children, some too weak to cry while others let out soft whimpers.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Time constraints once again strike here, but there’s also the fact that the movie drops the plot’s true twist — that Grace is a coward — only a few minutes before.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Simply, Florida’s Pro Day was as boring as ever.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Given a list, the sorts of things Americans are comfortable with AI doing tend to be impersonal or even boring tasks, as well as those that less directly impact them, like proofreading or searching online.—
Anthony Salvanto,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This is not to say that Rødland has gone soft, exactly, though the show does include two tender shots of his own young children.—
Chris Wiley,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Inside, the forest green walls, soft, cozy lighting and vintage decor only add to the element of whimsy.—
Samantha Husted,
Charlotte Observer,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement Similarly, no one is going to think Mullin is a wimp.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Eventually Sutton calls Amanda a wimp for not wanting any part of any confrontation, and Amanda tells her not to call her a wimp in her own home.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Back-to-back insipid losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest, which remain the low points of this campaign, had seen confidence on the terraces drain away.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Even the most insipid formulaic pop nonsense can induce that almost mystical reflection of life if your connections to the time of its airplay are meaningful.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The extremely concentrated formula makes a difference after one use thanks to a unique bonding complex and citric acid, which work in tandem to reinforce and rebuild weakened strands.—
Danielle Sinay,
Glamour,
23 Mar. 2026
-
That would leave a weakened but embittered regime possibly more determined than ever to make a nuclear bomb – and still with the material and much of the knowledge and equipment needed to do so.—
Matthew Bunn,
The Conversation,
17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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