nebbish

noun

neb·bish ˈne-bish How to pronounce nebbish (audio)

: a timid, meek, or ineffectual person

nebbishy

ˈne-bi-shē How to pronounce nebbish (audio)

adjective

Did you know?

"From what I read ... it looks like Pa isn't anything like the nebbish Ma is always making him out to be…." Sounds like poor Pa got a bum rap, at least according to a 1951 book review that appeared in The New York Times. The unfortunate Pa unwittingly demonstrates much about the etymology of nebbish, which derives from the Yiddish nebekh, meaning "poor" or "unfortunate." As you might expect for a timid word like nebbish, the journey from Yiddish to English wasn't accomplished in a single bold leap of spelling and meaning. It originally entered English in the 1800s as the adjective nebbich, meaning "innocuous or ineffectual." Nebbich (sometimes spelled nebekh) has also been used as an interjection to express dismay, pity, sympathy, or regret, but that use is far less widespread and is not included in most general-use English dictionaries.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Sievert plays Seymour, the lovestruck florist-shop nebbish who unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of a carnivorous and increasingly hungry hunk of vegetation.

Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2021 Marty the nebbish, Ike the shyster, Phyllis the shrew.

Judy Berman, Time, 8 Nov. 2021 For better or worse Eddie remains an antic nebbish, while Venom huffs and puffs with unquenchable indignation at the sorry state of the human world.

Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2021 In media, Jews tend to adhere to a narrow band of ethnic tropes: the nebbish, the neurotic, the overbearing mother.

Jamie Lauren Keiles, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2019 Eisenberg excels at playing an easy-to-dismiss type: the nebbish, the misanthrope, the loner.

Justin Chang, Detroit Free Press, 18 July 2019 The nebbish and the Croat spent their time drinking caseloads of prosecco and amiably throwing up starboard.

Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 18 June 2018 The Producers’’ on: the despondent nebbish at midlife, here named Martin.

Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 1 July 2018 Indeed, a nebbish nobody who didn’t look old enough to buy a bottle of wine had palmed off millions of dollars of phony Bordeaux and Burgundies to the jet set without ever having been to France.

Patrick Cooke, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017 See More

单词	nebbishy
释义	nebbish noun neb·bish ˈne-bish : a timid, meek, or ineffectual person nebbishy ˈne-bi-shē adjective Did you know? "From what I read ... it looks like Pa isn't anything like the nebbish Ma is always making him out to be…." Sounds like poor Pa got a bum rap, at least according to a 1951 book review that appeared in The New York Times. The unfortunate Pa unwittingly demonstrates much about the etymology of nebbish, which derives from the Yiddish nebekh, meaning "poor" or "unfortunate." As you might expect for a timid word like nebbish, the journey from Yiddish to English wasn't accomplished in a single bold leap of spelling and meaning. It originally entered English in the 1800s as the adjective nebbich, meaning "innocuous or ineffectual." Nebbich (sometimes spelled nebekh) has also been used as an interjection to express dismay, pity, sympathy, or regret, but that use is far less widespread and is not included in most general-use English dictionaries. Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web Sievert plays Seymour, the lovestruck florist-shop nebbish who unexpectedly becomes the caretaker of a carnivorous and increasingly hungry hunk of vegetation. Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2021 Marty the nebbish, Ike the shyster, Phyllis the shrew. Judy Berman, Time, 8 Nov. 2021 For better or worse Eddie remains an antic nebbish, while Venom huffs and puffs with unquenchable indignation at the sorry state of the human world. Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 30 Sep. 2021 In media, Jews tend to adhere to a narrow band of ethnic tropes: the nebbish, the neurotic, the overbearing mother. Jamie Lauren Keiles, New York Times, 27 Nov. 2019 Eisenberg excels at playing an easy-to-dismiss type: the nebbish, the misanthrope, the loner. Justin Chang, Detroit Free Press, 18 July 2019 The nebbish and the Croat spent their time drinking caseloads of prosecco and amiably throwing up starboard. Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 18 June 2018 The Producers’’ on: the despondent nebbish at midlife, here named Martin. Don Aucoin, BostonGlobe.com, 1 July 2018 Indeed, a nebbish nobody who didn’t look old enough to buy a bottle of wine had palmed off millions of dollars of phony Bordeaux and Burgundies to the jet set without ever having been to France. Patrick Cooke, WSJ, 31 Aug. 2017 See More Word History Etymology Yiddish nebekh poor, unfortunate, from Czech nebohý First Known Use 1907, in the meaning defined above nebbishy adjective as in timid Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance timid villainous pusillanimous unscrupulous craven cowardly unprincipled dastardly meek lily-livered corrupt poltroon sissy irresolute emasculated fainthearted vacillating infirm impotent unnerved lamblike submissive wimpy ineffectual flabby pliable flaccid powerless weakling ineffective wimpish effete spineless nerveless forceless characterless weak weak-kneed limp-wristed wishy-washy impuissant frail invertebrate weakened namby-pamby soft milk-and-water wet Antonyms & Near Antonyms tough strong hard firm good virtuous righteous moral ethical right upright backboned stalwart unrelenting courageous resolute determined principled mettlesome stouthearted See More
随便看	manginess manginesses manging mangle mangle gearing mangled mangler manglers mangles mangling mango mango bird mango melon mango weevil mango-squash mangoes mangold mangold-wurzel mangolds mangonel mangonels mangonism mangos mangosteen mangosteens

nebbish

noun

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

adjective