ninny
Americannoun
plural
ninniesnoun
Other Word Forms
- ninnyish adjective
Etymology
Origin of ninny
1585–95; perhaps generic use of pet form of Innocent proper name; -y 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He did not call Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, who was in attendance at the Senate meeting, a ninny.
From Slate • Jun. 15, 2024
Jane Austen wrote takedowns of this kind of ninny two centuries ago — how fun to see Pike update her twit to the post-Y2K era.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2024
You know that feeling of dread you get during musicals, where the plot screeches to a halt so that some ninny can sing about their feelings?
From The Guardian • Jun. 23, 2020
Achilles is a besotted fool; Patroclus a figure both narcissistic and stupid; Hector a fraud; Ulysses a hustler; Ajax a lout; Paris a ninny.
From Washington Post • Nov. 24, 2015
And would he just stand here like a jittery ninny or would he pull himself together and be reasonable?
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
