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
-
Much like how Hailey and Justin Bieber dress, there is something charming about opposing couple style, and allowing each other to follow their individual tastes and passions, without blending into one bland unit.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Jiang and his colleagues complain over video chat about their bland meals, but the people who produce, prepare and deliver the food remain invisible.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
What has changed is that higher ed itself is arguably weaker than ever.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
-
In fact, weather models vary widely on how strong Lorenzo could get in the coming days, ranging from a weak tropical storm to a Category 2 hurricane, the hurricane center said.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Just an utter coward folding to this embarrassing paper tiger administration.—
Megan Cartwright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
-
We are told that politics is for cowards, literary analysis is for women, education is a system of liberal indoctrination, brave individuals must resist the herd.—
Robert Rubsam,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone who suggests Guardiola’s title-winning Manchester City teams were boring should be forced to watch 90 minutes of Mourinho’s Chelsea versus Rafael Benitez’s Liverpool in the mid-2000s and report back.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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The details might be boring, but the gathering of money—searching gem dealers, gold dealers—was a full-time job.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The actress kept the rest of her look casual and texture-focused, pairing her mary janes with a soft gray sweater featuring an oversized ruffle neckline and a raw-hem denim miniskirt.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
13 Oct. 2025
-
By cutting t-shirts into continuous strips and giving them a gentle stretch, the fabric curls into a soft, versatile yarn.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
13 Oct. 2025
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
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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
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On the road, the Murano sidesteps the insipid CVT vibe of the past.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Callahan’s baritone is rich and full, but the rest of the instrumentation feels insipid.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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Women who drink 1–3 cups of green tea daily may have lower rates of weakened bones and loss of bone mass.—
Lauren Manaker MS,
Verywell Health,
10 Oct. 2025
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People with weakened immune systems are also highly vulnerable.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN Money,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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