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
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Recent Examples of wishy-washy
Davide Costa stars as Cady’s wishy-washy romantic partner Aaron and Ryan Perry Marks is Kevin, the frenetic leader of the school math club.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2026
The entire, chaotic saga—a wishy-washy White House, confused statements from populist and tech-elite Trump whisperers—is only the latest in a long string of strange, often contradictory AI-policy positions.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026
But a late-breaking twist may have set the second season (streaming now on Netflix) free from its wishy-washy roots.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Advertisement Mallory’s ruthlessness in the custody fight begins to alarm wishy-washy Karl.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 May 2026
While the market may seem wishy-washy on EVs right now, at least in the United States, most automakers with EVs already in the works are plowing forward.
—Kristin Shaw, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
At the risk of sounding wishy-washy like Thomas Mann at his worst moments, that understanding of the full spectrum of experience in both types of society and all the attendant nuances that made neither order much better or worse than the other comes across affectingly here.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Someone who’s a little wishy-washy, depending on if the cameras are up, that would definitely be messy Ashley Darby.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 May 2026
And wishy-washy responses to lawmakers’ questions, should the economy take a turn for the worse, are unlikely to fly.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2026
The entire, chaotic saga—a wishy-washy White House, confused statements from populist and tech-elite Trump whisperers—is only the latest in a long string of strange, often contradictory AI-policy positions.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 3 June 2026
But a late-breaking twist may have set the second season (streaming now on Netflix) free from its wishy-washy roots.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Advertisement Mallory’s ruthlessness in the custody fight begins to alarm wishy-washy Karl.
—Judy Berman, Time, 20 May 2026
While the market may seem wishy-washy on EVs right now, at least in the United States, most automakers with EVs already in the works are plowing forward.
—Kristin Shaw, ArsTechnica, 20 May 2026
At the risk of sounding wishy-washy like Thomas Mann at his worst moments, that understanding of the full spectrum of experience in both types of society and all the attendant nuances that made neither order much better or worse than the other comes across affectingly here.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2026
Someone who’s a little wishy-washy, depending on if the cameras are up, that would definitely be messy Ashley Darby.
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 6 May 2026
And wishy-washy responses to lawmakers’ questions, should the economy take a turn for the worse, are unlikely to fly.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 22 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wishy-washy
Adjective
-
The Flaws has a touch of Severance with its bland office setting and humor overlayed with symbolism but Reiber preferred to cite older influences.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
-
Has Cannes gone soft or have the movies become bland?—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
But his father contracted pneumonia in 2011, and after two decades in prison, his body was too weak to fight it.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
-
That gap is where signal blindness, misalignment, bottlenecks, execution delays and weak learning loops quietly convert external change into our fragilities.—
Christopher Washington,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
Swapping any boring sweater with this one will instantly upgrade your travel wardrobe (without much effort at all).—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
-
He was meant to only be the stick-in-the-mud boring guy.—
Daniel D'Addario,
Variety,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, particularly in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
5 June 2026
-
While most healthy people can recover in four to seven days without treatment, some vulnerable people, such as children under 5, adults 65 and older and those with weakened immune systems, may experience more severe illness that requires medical treatment or hospitalization.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Faced with insipid economic growth, politicians have not taken the action necessary to spark a resurgence, such as capital and digital markets reform, lower levels of regulation and lower business taxes.—
Kamal Ahmed,
Fortune,
21 May 2026
-
More boos followed after the final whistle with Slot’s side serving up another insipid home performance.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
As the limestone’s natural acids slowly leach into the softer sandstone, the structure will erode over time.—
Emily Watlington,
ARTnews.com,
12 June 2026
-
Take inspiration from Love Story’s Sarah Pidgeon and ask your hairdresser for soft, invisible layers, which create the illusion of a blunt cut while still adding movement and texture around the cheek, jaw, and collarbones.—
Ranyechi Udemezue,
Vogue,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Curacao home kit is quite dull and is a slightly weird colour, but this is almost perfect.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Unfortunately, hyaluronic acid decreases with age, which can contribute to a loss of plumpness, fine lines, and an overall duller complexion.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
The longtime Florida coach swapped a tiring McDonald for Russell Sandefer with one out in the top of the sixth inning.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 June 2026
-
By combining both the heated air flow of a blow dryer and a round brush in a single tool, this product is much simpler and less tiring to use than working with a separate hair dryer and round brush.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wishy-washy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wishy-washy. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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