nebbish

American  

[neb-ish] / ˈnɛb ɪʃ /

noun

Slang.

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

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Other Word Forms

• nebbishy
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of nebbish

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

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Explanation

A meek and timid person can be called a nebbish. If you're too scared to speak up when someone cuts in front of you as you wait in line for a movie, your date might call you a nebbish. Nebbish is most often used to describe a man, especially one who is so mild and submissive that other people tend to feel sorry for him. A nebbish isn't capable of accomplishing much or defending himself, so he often finds himself scorned or pitied. Nebbish comes from a Yiddish word, nebekh, "poor thing," and it's been used in English slang since the late 19th century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nebbish

Root, a veteran character actor probably best known for his comedic roles like the nebbish Milton in Mike Judge’s cult classic “Office Space,” has had rare opportunities to flex his dramatic chops.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Carell: My instinct was to not make Greg a nebbish, because I didn’t want it to be Walter Mitty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 9, 2026

Jordan’s bumbling, nebbish assistant Stan — played by Wayne Knight, whom I knew as the guy who gets smeared by a dilophosaurus in “Jurassic Park,” another childhood favorite — was hysterically funny.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2021

By Season 10, Hawkeye has become a bit of a nebbish, and has long since stopped womanizing, telling a nurse at one point, “I can’t take advantage of your feelings for me.”

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 24, 2018

Hugh Sidneys was nondescript, not quite a nebbish, but close.

From Terminal Compromise: computer terrorism: when privacy and freedom are the victims: a novel by Winn Schwartau

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