Jump to:

• milk toast
  milk toast

  noun

  toast, usually buttered, served in hot milk with sugar or with salt and pepper.
• milk-toast
  milk-toast

  adjective

  easily dominated; extremely mild; ineffectual; namby-pamby; wishy-washy.

milk toast

¹ American  

noun

1. toast, usually buttered, served in hot milk with sugar or with salt and pepper.

---

milk-toast ² American  

[milk-tohst] / ˈmɪlkˌtoʊst /

adjective

1. easily dominated; extremely mild; ineffectual; namby-pamby; wishy-washy.

---

noun

1. milquetoast.

Etymology

Origin of milk toast¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Origin of milk-toast²

First recorded in 1815–25

Example Sentences

We do not need to staff the CIA with Mister or Ms milk toast.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2018

He savored a final meal of eggs and grits, apple juice and milk, toast and a sweet doughnut stick.

From New York Times • Sep. 30, 2012

Leach's attorneys also claim that Hance twice told the attorney investigating the mistreatment complaint to change her report because it was "too mild" and "too milk toast," court documents show.

From Newsweek • Apr. 16, 2010

They fed pork and lamb, fish, chicken and guinea-hen, eggs and milk, toast gruel, oatmeal, rolls, potatoes, vegetables.

From Time Magazine Archive

Cereal and milk, toast, bacon, fried eggs—the smells of breakfast seemed to hang over the raft.

From "The River" by Gary Paulsen