Namby-pamby

Quick meaning: Namby-pamby is an adjective meaning Insipid and sentimental.

Meaning

Insipid and sentimental.

More Meanings

1. Lacking vigor or decisiveness; spineless; wishy-washy.
2. One who is insipid, sentimental, or weak.
3. Talk or writing which is weakly sentimental or affectedly pretty.
4. To coddle.

Example Sentences

[…] she was still, as heretofore, a namby-pamby milk-and-water affected creature […]

Namby Pamby’s doubly Mild, Once a Man, and twice a Child; To his Hanging-Sleeves restor’d Now he foots it like a Lord; Now he Pumps his little Wits; Sh—ing Writes and Writing Sh—s,^([sic])

Another of Addison’s favourite companions was Ambrose Phillipps, a good Whig and a middling poet, who had the honour of bringing into fashion a species of composition which has been called, after his name, Namby-Pamby.

While we business men of Britain have little time for this sort of namby-pambying towards the next generation, who are often feckless, tearful, small, dirty or all of the above, there is no doubt that youths have their place in commerce.

Word Forms

• namby-pambier
• namby-pambiest
• namby-pambies
• namby-pambying
• namby-pambied

Synonyms for namby-pamby

Depending on context, synonyms include namby, nestle-cock, sissy, softy, weak, spineless.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include wishy-washy, weak, spineless, namby-pambical, mamby-pamby, schmaltzy.

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