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

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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