as in milquetoast
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Recent Examples of nebbish
At the film’s Cipriani afterparty, the New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan compared the Babygirl effect to what Challengers did for Josh O’Connor, who’d previously played nice guys and nebbishes.
—
Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2024
Is the algorithm going to make the out-of-shape nebbish standup an endangered species?
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The assassins pursuing him there include a bounty hunter called Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), who shows up with his beloved dog (a cheeky reference back to the premise of the first John Wick movie), and a nasty nebbish called Chidi (Marko Zaror).
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2023
Played by Allen, Leonard Zelig is a nebbish of genius.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Jan. 2023
Playing a harried but devoted father is a new look for the actor who is frequently typecast as an unlikeable nebbish.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2022
Sievert plays Seymour, the lovestruck florist-shop nebbish who unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of a carnivorous and increasingly hungry hunk of vegetation.
—Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2021
Marty the nebbish, Ike the shyster, Phyllis the shrew.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Nov. 2021
For better or worse Eddie remains an antic nebbish, while Venom huffs and puffs with unquenchable indignation at the sorry state of the human world.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2021
Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2024
Is the algorithm going to make the out-of-shape nebbish standup an endangered species?
—Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023
The assassins pursuing him there include a bounty hunter called Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), who shows up with his beloved dog (a cheeky reference back to the premise of the first John Wick movie), and a nasty nebbish called Chidi (Marko Zaror).
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2023
Played by Allen, Leonard Zelig is a nebbish of genius.
—Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Jan. 2023
Playing a harried but devoted father is a new look for the actor who is frequently typecast as an unlikeable nebbish.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2022
Sievert plays Seymour, the lovestruck florist-shop nebbish who unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of a carnivorous and increasingly hungry hunk of vegetation.
—Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2021
Marty the nebbish, Ike the shyster, Phyllis the shrew.
—Judy Berman, Time, 8 Nov. 2021
For better or worse Eddie remains an antic nebbish, while Venom huffs and puffs with unquenchable indignation at the sorry state of the human world.
—Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nebbish
Noun
-
The lyrics’ milquetoast moodiness may also contribute to the band’s listener numbers.—
Ian Bogost,
The Atlantic,
4 July 2025
-
Like Ray did for its generation, Sophia proves that one little book willing to fill every word with lightning is worth more than the milquetoast marketability of a thousand best sellers.—
Dan Leach
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
Noun
-
With rising apprehension, the Cabinet kept deliberating for a couple of days while Sumner did his best to shut down jingoistic rhetoric in the Senate from politicians who demanded that Lincoln not be a coward in the face of Great Britain.—
Zaakir Tameez
June 11,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2025
-
Because these cowards fear being doxed for their inhumane and unconscionable actions.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 June 2025
Noun
-
Of the two sisters in the yellow house, Paula is a much gentler girl, a wuss, a baby, the biggest chicken—that’s how her sister thinks of her—and Rhonda is the boss.—
Alex Mar,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2023
-
Teach, who carries a gun, is a wuss about the rain.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2022
Noun
-
To find out whether bacteria would still collect PFAS chemicals inside a larger organism, the team used mice raised to lack a microbiome of their own and colonized the animals’ gut with several human microbiome bacteria that were shown to absorb PFAS.—
Nora Bradford,
Scientific American,
4 July 2025
-
An inspector followed up on the complaint and found mice droppings in aisles 14-17, product that was chewed through and a live mouse, Turner said.—
Killian Baarlaer,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nebbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nebbish. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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