namby-pamby

/'næmbi'pæmbi/
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Thân thiện
namby-pamby

A namby-pamby character in the story refused to stand up for their friend.

Definition

  1. Adjective:

    • Weak, insipid, or overly sentimental: Describes a person, behavior, or style that is feeble, lacking in strength or character, and often foolishly or excessively emotional in a weak way.
    • Affectedly pretty or delicate: Can describe something that is overly refined or dainty in a way that seems silly or without substance.

  2. Noun:

    • A weak, insipid person: Refers to a person who is feeble in willpower, courage, or vitality.
    • A foolishly sentimental person: Refers to someone who is overly and weakly emotional.
Usage Examples

  • Adjective:

    • He rejected the namby-pamby proposal and demanded stronger action.
    • The critic dismissed the poet's latest work as namby-pamby verse.
    • Don't be so namby-pamby; you need to be more decisive.

  • Noun:

    • The coach called him a namby-pamby for refusing to train in the rain.
    • She had no patience for namby-pambies who complained about every little difficulty.
Advanced Usage
  • The term is often used in a derogatory or mocking way to criticize a lack of toughness, vigor, or practicality. It implies a contemptible weakness.
  • It can be applied to language, art, ideas, or behavior that is perceived as being without force, conviction, or genuine feeling.
Word Origin and Notes
  • Origin: The word was coined in the 18th century as a parody of the name of Ambrose Philips, an English poet whose work was criticized by his contemporaries for being too sentimental and childish. It is a reduplicative formation (repeating a sound with a slight change) based on "Amby" (from Ambrose).
  • Register: The term is considered informal and somewhat old-fashioned, but it is still used for emphatic criticism.
Synonyms
  • Adjective: weak, feeble, ineffectual, insipid, wishy-washy, sentimental, mawkish, saccharine.
  • Noun: weakling, milksop, pushover, sentimentalist.
Antonyms
  • Adjective: strong, tough, robust, decisive, unsentimental.
  • Noun: stalwart, hardliner, realist.
namby-pamby

A namby-pamby character in the story refused to stand up for their friend.

Adjective
  1. weak in willpower, courage or vitality
Noun
  1. an insipid weakling who is foolishly sentimental

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