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
-
That The Rip is such a bland venue for its charismatic stars’ reunion is a terrible shame.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Carolyn switches her nail color from a bold red to a blander shade; John hobbles out of his George magazine office wearing a cast on his left ankle due to a paragliding accident.—
Chris Murphy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Those who may have moved to the area after the winter of 2022, may have a pretty weak opinion of what our winters are like here.—
Terry Eliasen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Moreover, the notion the public will meekly accept weaker radiation standards without explanation seems foolhardy.—
Katy Huff,
Scientific American,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
He and the cowards of Congress should be held accountable in the next election cycle.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Tim Walz and Jacob Frey are cowards who are inciting violence to distract from their own failures.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Some skyscrapers are quite uniform and rather boring.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Writing that’s as boring as your dullest relative was likely written by a chatbot that can’t see, hear, taste, smell, touch — or feel.—
Karen Stabiner,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Gordon is facing a lengthy trend of soft tissue injuries.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Compassionate words keep bonds soft and support your spiritual side.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Jan. 2026
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
-
Throughout the film, which is visually impressive, but insipid in the story, there are countless small touches that bring us back to the original.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Oct. 2025
-
On the road, the Murano sidesteps the insipid CVT vibe of the past.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Listeria can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, while healthy individuals may experience flu-like symptoms.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Trump’s malice and incompetence alienates voters, who then publicly voice their discontent, encouraging other political actors and institutions to see him not as a crusading avatar of national destiny but as a weakened figure.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 25 Jan. 2026.
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