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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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
-
Tile backsplashes elevate the space, offering visual and textural appeal that keeps it from feeling too bland or one-note.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Potato flautas, a vegetarian dish with fresh avocado, cotija cheese and a guajillo chile salsa were also well executed, but unfortunately bland, with those mashed potatoes in the filling needing more salt.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Based on the popular 1960s spy sitcom, this weak adaptation casts Steve Carell as a bumbling secret agent, with Hathaway as his more competent partner and developing love interest.—
Chris Feil,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
-
In particular, researchers experimentally demonstrated quadsqueezing, a complex fourth-order quantum interaction previously considered too weak to observe.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Across 17 tracks, Amos positions herself as both conqueror and coward, exploring how the greed and individualism of modern society has allowed tech feudalists and 21st-century robber barons to make out like kings.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
-
The Chicago Fraternal Order of Police president calling the mayor a coward doesn’t keep a single teenager off the street.—
Louis Martinez,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Never gets boring, never feels overplayed.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
1 May 2026
-
Pool, sauna, indoor fireplace, luggage drop-off, backyard With so much history and color around every corner in Marrakesh, why stay somewhere boring?—
Erika Owen,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Sites that preserve soft-bodied organisms are even rarer because soft tissues decompose more easily, making these places especially useful for piecing together prehistoric ecosystems.—
Marlowe Starling,
Quanta Magazine,
1 May 2026
-
Larsson and Pink have penned a postcard to their respective home countries while flexing the global soft power afforded, at least in part, by their international alliance.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
What unites these movements is a shared contempt for the moderate, who is dismissed as cowardly, unprincipled, or insincere: wimps who inexplicably hate winning.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Advertisement Similarly, no one is going to think Mullin is a wimp.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But the absence of those elements isn’t what breaks this insipid biopic.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Damn good flat whites, by the way, at Grounds Club, for those who despair of insipid cruise coffee.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
However, people younger than 5 and older than 65, and those with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe symptoms and require treatment or hospitalization.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Illnesses may be more severe for young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.—
Addy Bink,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
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