Antonyms for namby pamby


Grammar : Adj, noun
Spell : nam-bee-pam-bee
Phonetic Transcription : ˈnæm biˈpæm bi


Definition of namby pamby

Origin :
  • "weakly sentimental, insipidly pretty," 1745, from satiric nickname of English poet Ambrose Philips (1674-1749) mocking his sentimental pastorals addressed to infant members of the nobility. Used first in 1726 in a farce credited to Carey. Related: Namby-pambical.
  • As in wishy-washy : adj bland, dull
  • As in washy : adj insipid
  • As in waterish : adj insipid
  • As in milksop : noun coward
  • As in namby-pamby : noun pansy
  • As in pantywaist : noun sissy
  • As in sissy : noun weakling
  • As in wimp : noun weakling
  • As in : noun mother's boy
Example sentences :
  • I think it's wrong, and lazy, and a namby pamby way of being a useless thing, just because you are a girl!
  • Extract from : « Six Girls » by Fannie Belle Irving
  • Though Namby Pamby was not added to the first edition of the Key, it appears in the second edition.
  • Extract from : « A Learned Dissertation on Dumpling (1726) » by Anonymous

Synonyms for namby pamby

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019