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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
-
Pfeiffer is sensational, her Shyanne is a tough survivor and former Hooters server who’s preparing to wed a kind and rather bland preacher (Greg Kinnear).—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The movie does have a few additional in-concert scenes, but the songs, written and produced by Jack Antonoff and Charli xcx, just sound like a bland version of what they’re supposed to be.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This time, economists say the job market and consumer spending are weaker, and there are no large government stimulus checks being issued to spur demand.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Then, a strong hit by Sennecke on fellow rookie Michael Misa gave way to a weak clearing attempt by former King Tyler Toffoli.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Time constraints once again strike here, but there’s also the fact that the movie drops the plot’s true twist — that Grace is a coward — only a few minutes before.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
John Cornyn is a coward who has refused to support abolishing the filibuster to pass this bill.—
Jack Fink,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This season has an annoying habit of taking what is an easy vote, trying to confuse us into getting excited that something interesting is going to happen, only for the easy and most boring thing to happen in the end.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The boring machine can excavate to extreme depths, according to a report.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Made for unwinding, dreaming and everything in between, this 100% organic cotton sleepwear is crafted from naturally soft, breathable fabric that keeps you comfortable all night long.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The Earth Tone Collection currently offers several neutral colors—desert sand, warm beige, dune taupe, washed khaki, dusty olive, soft clay, muted terracotta and light stone—and the clients can create other custom colors.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Advertisement Similarly, no one is going to think Mullin is a wimp.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Eventually Sutton calls Amanda a wimp for not wanting any part of any confrontation, and Amanda tells her not to call her a wimp in her own home.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Framed sand dollars, ambiguous shoreline wall art, an plethora of rattan, an insipid white couch, sea turtle tchotchkes, and seashells displayed with reckless abandon.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
25 Mar. 2026
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Back-to-back insipid losses to Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest, which remain the low points of this campaign, had seen confidence on the terraces drain away.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Young children, travelers, gay or bisexual men, and those with weakened immune systems are at a higher risk of contracting Shigella, the CDC cautioned.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Testing failure Another error highlighted in the report involved recording inaccurate test results in September 2024 for a liver that tested positive for a common infection that can be deadly for people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant patients.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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