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
-
The tone of Wikipedia articles themselves is decidedly and intentionally bland.—
Imogen West-Knights,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
-
In reality, Nintendo’s Japanese HQ is a bland office building that nonemployees rarely enter and few details find their way out.—
Chris Plante,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Defense lawyers contend these cases should never have been brought, with weak evidence that juries consistently reject, prompting legal experts to question the prosecution strategy.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But some indications suggest that the jobs report could come in weaker than expected.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Please do not take the coward’s way.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
-
And Trump calls ’em almost like cowards.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Supporting your bone health doesn’t have to be complicated or boring.—
Lauren Manaker,
SELF,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Halftime shows for many years were also fairly boring affairs.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The team aimed to recreate this kind of dynamic control in a soft, synthetic material using digital design rather than complex biological systems.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The village range will include a hybrid hoodie combining a soft fleece front with a ripstop nylon back, displaying a tricolor mountain motif, as well as a T-shirt designed as a nod to the Paris Games in 2024 and a recycled polyester sherpa.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The real star of the show is, of course, Battle Cat, the giant green armored tiger whose alias is Cringer, Prince Adam’s wimp of a house cat.—
Tony Maglio,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Wes Siler, our longtime outdoor lifestyle columnist, is a total wimp who obsessively pursues comfort in extreme environments.—
Wes Siler,
Outside,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Infants and children under the age of 5, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk for complications from measles exposure.—
Alexandra Simon,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The consumption of raw milk and other unpasteurized dairy products can cause serious health risks and be especially dangerous for people with weakened immune systems, according to the Food and Drug Administration.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
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