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 Dolphins' milquetoast defense is allowing 33 points a game, and 13 of 15 offensive drives by opponents have resulted in points.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
18 Sep. 2025
-
But those who did had to watch him tonight, as the famously milquetoast comedian hosted the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, where the crème de la crème of post-prestige television duked it out for a couple shelves’ worth of trophies.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
15 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
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
-
The next step would be to analyse the mouse brain, then the human brain at a much later stage.—
Sergio Pereira,
Space.com,
3 Oct. 2025
-
As previously reported, Angourie Rice is in talks for the thriller’s lead role of Alice, a brilliant but troubled physicist who attempts to heal her trauma by using time travel, only to get caught in a twisty cat-and-mouse game of murder and violence in New York City.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nebbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nebbish. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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