milquetoast

[ milk-tohst ]
See synonyms for milquetoast on Thesaurus.com
noun(sometimes initial capital letter)
  1. a very timid, unassertive, spineless person, especially one who is easily dominated or intimidated: a milquetoast who's afraid to ask for a raise.

Origin of milquetoast

1
1935–40, Americanism; after Caspar Milquetoast, a character in The Timid Soul, comic strip by H. T. Webster (1885–1952), American cartoonist
  • Also called Caspar Milquetoast.

Words that may be confused with milquetoast

Words Nearby milquetoast

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How to use milquetoast in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for milquetoast

milquetoast

/ (ˈmɪlkˌtəʊst) /


noun
  1. US and Canadian a meek, submissive, or timid person

Origin of milquetoast

1
C20: from Caspar Milquetoast, a cartoon character invented by H. T. Webster (1885–1952)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012