nebbish

noun

neb·bish ˈne-bish

Synonyms of nebbish next

: a timid, meek, or ineffectual person

nebbishy

ˈne-bi-shē

adjective

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“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 comes from the Yiddish word nebekh, meaning “poor” or “unfortunate.” In keeping with the term’s semantic timidity, its journey from Yiddish to English wasn’t accomplished in a single bold leap. In the earliest known English example of the word, it’s an adjective meaning “harmless or ineffectual.” That mid-19th century use was joined in the early 20th century by the noun we’re familiar with today. Along the way, nebbish has also been used in English as an interjection expressing dismay, pity, sympathy, or regret. The English adjective and interjection are too rare to be included in most general-use English dictionaries, but the noun has made a place for itself in the common lexicon, proving that it’s less of a nebbish than the timid and meek types it refers to.

Examples of nebbish in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

At the film’s Cipriani afterparty, the New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan compared the Babygirl effect to what Challengers did for Josh O’Connor, who’d previously played nice guys and nebbishes. —

Nate Jones, Vulture, 31 Aug. 2024 Is the algorithm going to make the out-of-shape nebbish standup an endangered species? —

Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 15 Nov. 2023 The nebbish who fights back. —

Jay Deitcher, Wired, 5 July 2021 Dennehy’s size and potent masculinity was integral to Falls' noir-tinged staging of the play; at the time, there was an unspoken contrast with Dustin Hoffman, who had recently interpreted Willy on both stage and screen as a nebbish who seemed to shrink ever-further before your eyes. —

Chris Jones, chicagotribune.com, 22 Oct. 2020 The assassins pursuing him there include a bounty hunter called Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), who shows up with his beloved dog (a cheeky reference back to the premise of the first John Wick movie), and a nasty nebbish called Chidi (Marko Zaror). —

Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2023 Played by Allen, Leonard Zelig is a nebbish of genius. —

Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Jan. 2023 Playing a harried but devoted father is a new look for the actor who is frequently typecast as an unlikeable nebbish. —

Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 17 Nov. 2022 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