α. 1800s– nebbich, 1900s– nebbech, 1900s– nebech Brit. 
/ˈnɛbəx/, U.S. /ˈnɛbəx/, 1900s– nebekh, 1900s– nebich, 1900s– nebuch.
β. 1900s– nebbish, 1900s– nebish.
nebbishadj.int.n.
/ˈnɛbɪʃ/, U.S. /ˈnɛbɪʃ/ colloquial. Chiefly in Jewish usage.
A. adj.
Relating to or characteristic of a nebbish; that is a nebbish; innocuous, ineffectual.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adjective] > not having influence
weak of friends1586
uninfluential1661
uninfluencing1813
uninfluencive1816
nebbish1843
the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > disadvantage > uselessness > uselessness, vanity, or futility > [adjective] > ineffective > specifically of a person
nebbish1843
ineffectual1865
pantywaist1938
wimpy1967
wussy1977
1843 R. Mendelssohn Let. Oct. in S. Hensel Mendelssohn Family (1882) II. 223 Italian is so comfortable, and at the same time a bit scurrilous and Jewish. Poverino is decidedly nebbich.
1941 B. Schulberg What makes Sammy Run? v. 102 A nebbish person is not exactly an incompetent, a dope or a weakling. He is simply the one in the crowd that you always forget to introduce.
1965 B. Glanville Second Home (1968) x. 185 It was a terribly nebbish party.
1968 Times 6 Apr. 21 The central character is so nebbish he has not even a name.
1988 Star (Tarrytown, N.Y.) 12 Apr. 43/1 The needle..finds its way into the backside of nebbish..cashier Jack Putter.
1991 J. Gavin Intimate Nights viii. 259 His slumped, nebbish appearance, combined with a deadpan, Brooklynese, nasal delivery gave his self-deprecation a ring of truth.
2005 L. J. Walker Dreaming In Technicolor xxiii. 260 ‘Thirty-two seems like kind of a nebbish age to me.’.. ‘There's nothing about you that will ever be nebbish, Phoebe.’
B. int.
Expressing commiseration, dismay, pity, etc.
ΚΠ
1892 I. Zangwill Children of Ghetto I. 46 ‘Achi nebbich, poor little thing!’ cried Mrs. Kosminski, who was in a tender mood.
1907 I. Zangwill Ghetto Comedies 205 ‘Nebbich, the poor little children!’ cried Natalya, horrified.
1929 I. Goller Five Bks. Mr. Moses ii. viii. 116 Onnly [sic] not long ago engaged to Becky Jacobs—nebbich (pity!).
1962 B.-Z. Abrahams tr. Glückel of Hameln Life i. 4 All the pleasures and riches he, nebbich, was denied here.
1976 C. Bermant Coming Home i. v. 73 ‘Are they widows?’ ‘No, they're not married.’ ‘None of them?’ ‘None of them.’ ‘Nebbich.’
2001 L. Bush Leo Rosten's New Joys Yiddish 264 They asked me, nebekh, to break the sad news.
C. n.
An insignificant or ineffectual person; a nobody; a nonentity.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [noun] > one who is unimportant
unknownc1390
pawnc1450
semi-cipher?1550
bauble1570
Jack with the feather1581
nobody1583
winterling1585
squash1600
rush candle1628
niflec1635
nullity1657
nonentity1710
featherweight1812
underscrub1822
nyaff1825
small fish1836
no-account1840
little fish1846
peanut1864
commonplacer1874
sparrow-fart1886
Little Willie1901
pipsqueak1905
nebbish1907
pie-biter1911
blob1916
smallie1930
no-count1932
zilch1933
Mickey Mouse1935
muzhik1945
nerd1951
nothingburger1953
nerk1955
non-person1959
no-mark1982
1907 tr. U. Frank Simon Eichelkatz in tr. U. Frank Simon Eichelkatz & Patriarch 159 Simon..said: ‘Do you know the real meaning of the word nebbich, Herr Kreisphysikus?’ ‘Yes, I do, nebbich.’
1936 M. Levin Old Bunch 505 Listen, Lou, you can't get rid of a nebich like that.
1951 N.Y. Times Bk. Rev. 7 Oct. 4/4 It looks like Pa isn't anything like the nebbish Ma is always making him out to be.
1973 Jewish Chron. 9 Feb. 5/1 The kings [in this Jewish chess-set] are dead, long live the nebbishes (the deprived, signifying the decline of royal power).
1993 Independent 26 Feb. 16/6 Leon..is..a nebbish in the unmistakable Woody Allen mould, unsuccessful in his career and in love.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.int.n.1843