nebbish

[ neb-ish ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a pitifully ineffectual, luckless, and timid person.

Other Words From

• nebbish·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nebbish¹

1890–95; < Yiddish nebekh poor, unfortunate, probably < Slavic; compare Czech nebohý poor; spelling with -sh perhaps < Western Yiddish forms of the word

Example Sentences

In his own photos, Savader looks like your average Beltway nebbish: pasty, bespectacled, bad hair.

From The Daily Beast

Calvert was a pudgy older guy who wore thick horn-rimmed glasses and personified the lovable nebbish.

From The Daily Beast