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  1. Dictionary
    namby-pamby
    /ˌnambɪˈpambi/

    adjective

    • 1. lacking energy, strength, or courage; feeble, timid, or ineffectual: "I certainly didn't need any affection—namby-pamby nonsense"

    noun

    • 1. a timid, oversensitive, or overly fastidious man or boy: derogatory "once we were in the cells we became pathetic namby-pambies"

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  2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishNAMBY-PAMBY | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

    Namby-pamby is an informal adjective that means weak, silly, or emotional. It is often used to criticize someone or something as gutless, spineless, or wishy-washy. See synonyms, related words, and usage examples from the Cambridge English Corpus.

  3. www.dictionary.com › browse › namby-pambyNAMBY-PAMBY Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com

    Namby-pamby is an adjective or noun that means weak, sentimental, or insipid. It is a rhyming compound based on the name of a 18th-century poet whose verse was ridiculed. See the origin, usage, and examples of namby-pamby.

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  5. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › namby-pambyNamby-pamby Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    The meaning of NAMBY-PAMBY is lacking in character or substance : insipid. How to use namby-pamby in a sentence. Did you know?

  6. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryNAMBY-PAMBY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

    Namby-pamby is an informal adjective that means weak, silly, or emotional. It is often used to criticize someone or something as gutless, spineless, or wishy-washy. See more meanings, synonyms, and examples of namby-pamby in different contexts.

  7. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Namby-PambyNamby-pamby - Wikipedia

    Namby-pamby is a term for affected, weak, and maudlin speech/verse. It originates from a 1725 poem by Henry Carey that satirized Ambrose Philips's new prosody and style.

  8. www.phrases.org.uk › meanings › namby-pambyNamby-pamby - Meaning & Origin Of The Phrase - Phrasefinder

    Namby-pamby is a nickname for the poet Ambrose Philips, who wrote sentimental poems in a nursery style. It also means childish and weakly sentimental, and was used by his rivals and later critics.

  9. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishNAMBY-PAMBY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

    Namby-pamby is an adjective or noun that describes something or someone weak, sentimental, or insipid. It is a satirical nickname of Ambrose Philips, an 18th-century poet whose pastorals were ridiculed.