milquetoast

1 of 2

noun

milque·​toast ˈmilk-ˌtōst 

: a timid, meek, or unassertive person

milquetoast

2 of 2

adjective

1

of a person : timid, meek, or unassertive

Do we really want a someone who is a milquetoast halfhearted candidate or someone who will defend the Constitution with every fiber of her being?

—Dana B. Orr

2

: lacking in character or vigor : wishy-washy

… after declining multiple opportunities to comment during the reporting of the story, he finally produced a most milquetoast statement Friday.

—Jerry Brewer

Did you know?

Why is it milquetoast, and not milk toast?

Caspar Milquetoast is a comic strip character created in 1924 by cartoonist Harold T. Webster. Beginning a few years after the character's debut, the term milquetoast came to describe a timid or meek person. Caspar's last name is fitting because milk toast is a weak, bland concoction of buttered toast served in a dish of warm milk.

Examples of milquetoast in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The genesis of the legislation was a scandal: A newspaper published U.S. Supreme Court Justice nominee Robert Bork’s milquetoast video rental history during his confirmation hearings. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2019

Maye entered the Rams game with a milquetoast 84.1 career passer rating but an astounding 9.3 yards per run. —Steve Svekis, Sun Sentinel, 17 Nov. 2024

Adjective

McNairy convincingly plays a maddeningly milquetoast character whose indecision infuriates his wife and, by extension, the audience. —Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 10 Sep. 2024

President Biden and Speaker McCarthy came to terms on a rather milquetoast bipartisan agreement to raise the debt ceiling. —David Harsanyi, National Review, 8 June 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Caspar Milquetoast, comic strip character created by H. T. Webster †1952 American cartoonist

Adjective

from Caspar Milquetoast — more at milquetoast entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1931, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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