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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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
-
This one came off bland, with a sauce that bordered on soupy rather than creamy.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Ratmansky, by contrast, earnestly turns this light but pointed farce into a bland American morality tale.—
Jennifer Homans,
New Yorker,
2 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Taking new measurements, the researchers saw that as fluid gushed between cells, creating indentations in their cell membranes, bubbles mostly bulged into weaker cells.—
Clare Watson,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Trump suggested in the aftermath of that raid that military action in Cuba might not be necessary because the island’s economy was weak enough — particularly in the absence of oil shipments from Venezuela that stopped after Maduro was taken into custody — to soon collapse on its own.—
Will Weissert,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Maekar refuses, earning a cutting rebuttal from Dunk about the royal upbringing that turned Daeron (Henry Ashton) into a drunken coward and Aerion into an arrogant and cruel madman.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Please do not take the coward’s way.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This outfit, one of Bessette-Kennedy’s most famous, manages to turn what could feel boring—a plain khaki midiskirt—into a genuine statement.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Children, that great adventure, boring?—
Daniel Smith,
The Atlantic,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The material is a blend of viscose, polyester, and nylon that shoppers call surprisingly soft and stretchy.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Creamy and soft, these shades aren't as stark as bright white and leave your nails looking clean while still feeling contemporary.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
While most people recover fairly quickly from HMPV, people with weakened immune system or other medical conditions, or who are very young or old, are more likely to suffer serious illness, the Mayo Clinic said.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
3 Mar. 2026
-
This type of infection is more serious for newborns, adults over 65 and those with weakened immune systems.—
Rebecca Cohen,
NBC news,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Namby-pamby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/namby-pamby. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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