1
as in bland
lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character
this story is too wishy-washy; you need to add some verve to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
in a time of crisis the nation can ill afford wishy-washy leaders
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wishy-washy
Meanwhile, Minneapolis' Twin Cities Pride rejected Target's sponsorship dollars citing wishy-washy support of the LGBTQ+ community and its DEI rollbacks.
—
Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 8 May 2025
Even last season, with a wishy-washy regular-season defense, Indiana allowed the lowest 3-point attempt rate in the NBA, according to Cleaning The Glass.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Though perhaps that ambiguity is also the result of some wishy-washy writing.
—Shannon Keating, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Worry less about appearing wishy-washy as Mercury goes retrograde.
—USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025
Read: His daughter was America’s first measles death in a decade
Kennedy’s wishy-washy comments about the measles vaccine may persuade more parents not to vaccinate their children—which means that more children will get sick, and perhaps die.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Nor did anyone blink when Shonda Rhimes set Scandal within the White House of a wishy-washy, adulterous GOP President who’d unwittingly stolen an election.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
Lewis Lupton Photo: Bravo/Vincent Cerone/Bravo Bosun Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
Usually bosuns are too overbearing, but this one was too wishy-washy.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
Not wishy-washy George Clooney, not low-life Mark Ruffalo, not obnoxious Edward Norton, not freaky boho Johnny Depp, not wimpy Ryan Gosling or nondescript Glen Powell.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Dec. 2024
Eleanor Hawkins, Axios, 8 May 2025
Even last season, with a wishy-washy regular-season defense, Indiana allowed the lowest 3-point attempt rate in the NBA, according to Cleaning The Glass.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 2 May 2025
Though perhaps that ambiguity is also the result of some wishy-washy writing.
—Shannon Keating, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2025
Worry less about appearing wishy-washy as Mercury goes retrograde.
—USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025
Read: His daughter was America’s first measles death in a decade
Kennedy’s wishy-washy comments about the measles vaccine may persuade more parents not to vaccinate their children—which means that more children will get sick, and perhaps die.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Nor did anyone blink when Shonda Rhimes set Scandal within the White House of a wishy-washy, adulterous GOP President who’d unwittingly stolen an election.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
Lewis Lupton Photo: Bravo/Vincent Cerone/Bravo Bosun Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
Usually bosuns are too overbearing, but this one was too wishy-washy.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
Not wishy-washy George Clooney, not low-life Mark Ruffalo, not obnoxious Edward Norton, not freaky boho Johnny Depp, not wimpy Ryan Gosling or nondescript Glen Powell.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Dec. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wishy-washy
Adjective
-
From there, the Angels have been one of MLB’s most bland and underachieving franchises.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 May 2025
-
Charlie Byrd of New Babylon is almost as forgettable and bland.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Adjective
-
And, in the long run, economists say that will translate to a weaker economy and a lower standard of living.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
22 May 2025
-
Thanks to a weak front sliding across Central Florida, Thursday will be a bit cooler than prior days.—
Garfield Hylton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 May 2025
Adjective
-
Belief that your institution is exempt from the hard, functional and often boring parts of the job leads to a slow decline.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
-
As a small-market team, for the majority of my life, Indiana has been looked at as boring or whatever the case may be.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
But the insipid Premier League displays that have pushed the club to the lower reaches of the table mean there is a scarcity of belief that such an outcome will come to pass.—
Zak Garner-Purkis,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Bored of an increasingly insipid Premier League season?—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Some reactions might be softer and less pronounced, while others could be obsessive and overwhelming.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
-
Since then, only a few structural modifications and modern changes have been made—wood-burning stoves were replaced by propane heaters, and horses and mules were swapped for llamas (their feet are softer and less damaging to the ground).—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
21 May 2025
Adjective
-
The bristles of the brush manually sweep away dull, rough, flaky skin cells.—
Angela Palmer,
Verywell Health,
20 May 2025
-
There’s an effort from the developer, Far Out Games, to tell a captivating noirish story here but the cutscenes and dialogue are painfully dull.—
Joshua Lamb,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
Adjective
-
Of course, all that excitement does get tiring after a while, and the dogs in side B eventually wind down for a brief nap.—
Jason D. Greenblatt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Apr. 2025
-
At-home blowouts are hard; even when armed with the right tutorials and top-of-the-line tools, all the maneuvering gets tiring quickly.—
Kylee McGuigan,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Her feeds from Paris Fashion Week 2016 are a representative sample—a pacifying stream of cream and white, diamonds and lace, outsize wealth made as banal as breakfast.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2025
-
The internet has encouraged only more comparison, and more consternation—more places to argue, more pressure to make even the most banal parts of our lives beautiful.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
14 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wishy-washy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wishy-washy. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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