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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
-
Choose simple, bland foods that are easy to digest, such as bananas and toast.—
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois,
Health,
20 Sep. 2025
-
While the buzz about Borderlands 4 has been mostly positive (aside from serious PC performance issues reported early on), the game’s bland opening feels out of keeping with the franchise, offering a reminder that Borderlands has always been about more than just slick gameplay.—
G Kirilloff,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Nobody can say that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a weak team.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Akin to two boxers with weak chins slugging it out, Villa wanted to land another blow.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
Punk then made his entrance to confront Lynch, calling Rollins a coward for hiding behind his wife.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And, actually, representative of the sport in these non-boring ’20s.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Aesha knows a thing or two about Bitcoin, despite finding it a boring topic of conversation — her fiancé, Scott, is into crypto.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
As a result, when animals died and sank, their soft tissues were occasionally preserved instead of being consumed or decaying.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Hamilton Chaise Sectional Sofa Made from a soft polyester blend, this couch has deep seats designed for ultimate relaxation.—
Jacqueline Tempera,
PEOPLE,
29 Sep. 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
-
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
-
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
-
The Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad and Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad may be contaminated by bacteria listeria monocytogenes, which can cause fatal infections in children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, according to a news release from Kroger.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Listeria infection, or listeriosis, is most likely to sicken pregnant people and newborns, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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