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
Don’t worry, I won’t be wishy-washy: August is not an important month for jobs data since the whole nation tends to be in flux.
—
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
Much of the recent coverage cites wishy-washy export signals as having a major effect on Nvidia’s stock with the on-again, off-again nature of H20 sales to the Middle Kingdom shaking things up.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Would things be so wishy-washy if a Bravo employee who was not on camera behaved in the same way to a coworker?
—William Earl, Variety, 30 July 2025
And then he was wishy-washy, went back and forth, and she was deceived and disappointed by him.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 July 2025
While Hollywood was doing its best to evade or outright ignore the mostly wishy-washy efforts of the MPPDA to regulate throughout the 1920s, a figure was rising in the Midwest who would change all that.
—Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
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
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025
Much of the recent coverage cites wishy-washy export signals as having a major effect on Nvidia’s stock with the on-again, off-again nature of H20 sales to the Middle Kingdom shaking things up.
—John Werner, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Would things be so wishy-washy if a Bravo employee who was not on camera behaved in the same way to a coworker?
—William Earl, Variety, 30 July 2025
And then he was wishy-washy, went back and forth, and she was deceived and disappointed by him.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 15 July 2025
While Hollywood was doing its best to evade or outright ignore the mostly wishy-washy efforts of the MPPDA to regulate throughout the 1920s, a figure was rising in the Midwest who would change all that.
—Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wishy-washy
Adjective
-
Much like how Hailey and Justin Bieber dress, there is something charming about opposing couple style, and allowing each other to follow their individual tastes and passions, without blending into one bland unit.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Jiang and his colleagues complain over video chat about their bland meals, but the people who produce, prepare and deliver the food remain invisible.—
Yangyang Cheng,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Stevenson has become more intentional with his efforts to understand offensive concepts and routes and the ways opposing teams often attack his weak spots.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But this weaker god jumped in without hesitation and was gifted the ability to become Tonatiuh, the sun.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And, actually, representative of the sport in these non-boring ’20s.—
Joe Rexrode,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Aesha knows a thing or two about Bitcoin, despite finding it a boring topic of conversation — her fiancé, Scott, is into crypto.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The Basil Pesto Bowtie Salad and Smoked Mozzarella Penne Salad may be contaminated by bacteria listeria monocytogenes, which can cause fatal infections in children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems, according to a news release from Kroger.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Listeria infection, or listeriosis, is most likely to sicken pregnant people and newborns, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems.—
Rachel Treisman,
NPR,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On the road, the Murano sidesteps the insipid CVT vibe of the past.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
17 Aug. 2025
-
Callahan’s baritone is rich and full, but the rest of the instrumentation feels insipid.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
Take the front row, for example, where Russell was fitted with medium tires and Verstappen was on soft tires.—
Madeline Coleman,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
These unique washcloths only need water to remove makeup like foundation, concealer, and blush, and are soft and gentle enough to wipe away stubborn mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow around the delicate eye area.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The track opens with a provocative guitar riff, setting the stage for a fierce jungle hunt rather than a dull cat-and-mouse game.—
Billboard China,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
-
So much noise, apparently, that Yankees management is pressuring Ticketmaster to keep Sox fans down to a dull roar.—
Steve Buckley,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The first trimester was always tiring.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Without a strict hierarchy or single decision-maker, our process can sometimes be slow, messy, or even tiring.—
Caterina De Biasio,
Vogue,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wishy-washy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wishy-washy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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