pantywaist

American  

[pan-tee-weyst] / ˈpæn tiˌweɪst /

noun

1. Informal. a weak, effeminate man; sissy.

   Synonyms:

   namby-pamby, milksop, weakling

2. formerly, a child's undergarment consisting of short pants and a shirt that buttoned together at the waist.

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adjective

1. weak; fainthearted.

2. Informal. childish.

pantywaist British  

/ ˈpæntɪˌweɪst /

noun

1. a child's undergarment consisting of a shirt and pants buttoned together at the waist

2. informal a man or boy considered as childish, lacking in courage, etc

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Etymology

Origin of pantywaist

First recorded in 1925–30; panty + waist

Explanation

You can use the word pantywaist to talk about an ineffective, weak person — especially a man — although it's not very nice and is likely to hurt his feelings. The noun pantywaist has proven to be more enduring in its figurative meaning — an ineffectual or childish man — than in its original meaning, which was a garment of early 20th century vintage: short pants fastened to a waist band, worn by children. Still, the term is somewhat old fashioned, and calling a timid man a pantywaist these days would not only be unkind, but might also be confusing.

Example Sentences

His business associates are so young and fearsome that among them Mr. Stevens, no pantywaist, seems as mild and conspicuous as a country uncle.

From Time Magazine Archive

A few Denver intransigeants call Director Cherrington a Communist, but real Communists call him a "pantywaist."

From Time Magazine Archive