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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
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According to the referee report, Bright used a racial slur that is slang for punk or coward.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
21 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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By all accounts, being a milquetoast is a sort of vice—cowardice masquerading as prudence.—
Nikhil Krishnan,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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This year’s ceremony was not perfect, of course — there were some sound-production issues, there were some presenters with milquetoast bits (as always), and a few winners were played off the stage with cruelly abrupt music cues.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Henry is a megalomaniac and a complete wuss.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
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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
Noun
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The data, which includes employee keystrokes and mouse clicks, is needed to train AI agents, a Meta spokesperson said in a statement.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
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But the cat is so busy chasing its tail, the mouse saunters away and curls up for a nap.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Nebbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nebbish. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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