1
as in bland
lacking in qualities that make for spirit and character
this story is too wishy-washy; you need to add some verve to it
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in weak
lacking strength of will or character
in a time of crisis the nation can ill afford wishy-washy leaders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of wishy-washy
Worry less about appearing wishy-washy as Mercury goes retrograde.
—
USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025
Read: His daughter was America’s first measles death in a decade
Kennedy’s wishy-washy comments about the measles vaccine may persuade more parents not to vaccinate their children—which means that more children will get sick, and perhaps die.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Nor did anyone blink when Shonda Rhimes set Scandal within the White House of a wishy-washy, adulterous GOP President who’d unwittingly stolen an election.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
Lewis Lupton Photo: Bravo/Vincent Cerone/Bravo Bosun Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
Usually bosuns are too overbearing, but this one was too wishy-washy.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
Not wishy-washy George Clooney, not low-life Mark Ruffalo, not obnoxious Edward Norton, not freaky boho Johnny Depp, not wimpy Ryan Gosling or nondescript Glen Powell.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Dec. 2024
MasterClass Online Courses $10+ Buy Now on masterclass From cooking lessons with Gordon Ramsay to film 101 with David Lynch, MasterClass’ impressive roster of online classes taught by industry pros gives the wishy-washy giftee of yours plenty of unique options to utilize throughout the winter.
—Mia Maguire, StyleCaster, 11 Dec. 2024
People buy specific results, not wishy-washy words.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
This isn’t some abstract, wishy-washy exercise either.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2025
Read: His daughter was America’s first measles death in a decade
Kennedy’s wishy-washy comments about the measles vaccine may persuade more parents not to vaccinate their children—which means that more children will get sick, and perhaps die.
—Nicholas Florko, The Atlantic, 14 Mar. 2025
Nor did anyone blink when Shonda Rhimes set Scandal within the White House of a wishy-washy, adulterous GOP President who’d unwittingly stolen an election.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 20 Feb. 2025
Lewis Lupton Photo: Bravo/Vincent Cerone/Bravo Bosun Below Deck Adventure
Season 1
—
Usually bosuns are too overbearing, but this one was too wishy-washy.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 31 Dec. 2024
Not wishy-washy George Clooney, not low-life Mark Ruffalo, not obnoxious Edward Norton, not freaky boho Johnny Depp, not wimpy Ryan Gosling or nondescript Glen Powell.
—Armond White, National Review, 18 Dec. 2024
MasterClass Online Courses $10+ Buy Now on masterclass From cooking lessons with Gordon Ramsay to film 101 with David Lynch, MasterClass’ impressive roster of online classes taught by industry pros gives the wishy-washy giftee of yours plenty of unique options to utilize throughout the winter.
—Mia Maguire, StyleCaster, 11 Dec. 2024
People buy specific results, not wishy-washy words.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
This isn’t some abstract, wishy-washy exercise either.
—Lien De Pau, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wishy-washy
Adjective
-
The new Snow White represents progressive mediocrity — the antagonism between Snow White and her evil stepmother (Gal Gadot) is bland and uninteresting after the remarkable modern version White as Snow that starred Lou de Laâge and Isabelle Huppert.—
Armond White,
National Review,
26 Mar. 2025
-
The whodunit's central mystery is also half-baked: the death of Wynter is as bland as Esposito's character is in flashbacks.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA TODAY,
20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Murena Pixel Tablet And Third-Party Apps The ecosystem for Android tablets is weaker than that of Android smartphones.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
-
The health infrastructure that the U.S. would have to marshal against them is already weak.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Broberg’s heartbreaking overtime winner Some overtimes are boring, with teams methodically regrouping.—
Harman Dayal,
The Athletic,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Transform boring tasks into challenges with stakes, rewards, and achievements.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Performances range from bad to worse (Jude Law as Captain Hook is permanently running on fumes), Neverland is a dreary landscape of muted greens and browns, and the story becomes an insipid take on an adventurous classic.—
Barry Levitt,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
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The framing, blocking, and overall visual grammar have a condescending air, as if directors have surrendered to some insipid idea of who their audience is.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Ironically, her swollen face looks plump and round despite her partial buccal fat removal — a procedure that extracts the soft pads of tissue found inside the cheeks to create a slimmer face.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
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Like all On shoes, they’re constructed to have a soft, cloudlike feel, so your feet won’t get sore during your all-day adventure.—
Melony Forcier,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The main romance is dull, but there’s plenty of fun slapstick and creative set-pieces in John Hughes’ script to make up for it.—
Barry Levitt,
TIME,
21 Mar. 2025
-
Over time, excessive stimulation can lead to dysregulation of the reward system, making routine activities feel dull in comparison.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
While squatting is a relatively rare problem at the national level, the issue has gotten more attention over the past year—and can be extremely tiring and stressful for property owners.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
-
Kraft likes taking big swings, but after tiring of Belichick’s autocratic approach, his priority for the 2024 season was simply regaining control of his franchise.—
Mike Sando,
The Athletic,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Often sports litigations begin with dramatic assertions and intriguing legal theories only to end in confidential settlements and banal PR statements.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
15 Mar. 2025
-
And, in every case, banal commentary is slowly occluding the art, seeping into it in boldface titles or explainers that speak over the sound or cover the image.—
Namwali Serpell,
The New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Wishy-washy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wishy-washy. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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