wishy-washy

[ wish-ee-wosh-ee, -waw-shee ]

/ ˈwɪʃ iˌwɒʃ i, -ˌwɔ ʃi /

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adjective

lacking in decisiveness; without strength or character; irresolute.

washy or watery, as a liquid; thin and weak.

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Origin of wishy-washy

First recorded in 1685–95; gradational compound based on washy

OTHER WORDS FROM wishy-washy

wish·y-wash·i·ly, adverbwish·y-wash·i·ness, noun

Words nearby wishy-washy

wishing well, wish list, wish on, wisht, wish-wash, wishy-washy, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, Wisła, Wislany Zalew, Wismar, wisp

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Example sentences from the Web for wishy-washy

But his Republican party in Washington considers this conservative too wishy-washy to be prime GOP material.
Nevada Guv Faces Fans and Foes in Reelection|Lloyd Green|March 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That these terms happen, however, to be such wishy-washy ones—"cute, interesting, zany"—seems depressing.
Zany, Cute, Interesting: What the Words We Use Say About Us|Benjamin Lytal|October 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Were his wishy-washy answers in the debate merely an attempt to fool the center into voting for an Islamist candidate?
Egyptian Elections: There Is No Clear Frontrunner in a Crowded Field|Mahmoud Salem|May 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The offspring of feisty politicos are often kinder, gentler, wishy-washier versions of dear old dad.
The Next Dick|Michelle Cottle|September 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST

"The idea seemed really wishy-washy at first, but as I got more religious it began to make sense," he says.
Islam's Sex Licenses|Betwa Sharma|April 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
A man with a feeble, wishy-washy expression holds by each hand a fierce, but subjugated tiger.
By The Sea|Heman White Chaplin
Utterly opposed to any such wishy-washy settlement of our national difficulties, I vote "no."
A Report of the Debates and Proceedings in the Secret Sessions of the Conference Convention|Lucius Eugene Chittenden
The contrast when the good man got into the pulpit and began to pray in a borrowed, washy lingo—extempore in more senses than one!
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)|George Eliot
His color is about his worst point, as he is a light, washy chestnut, with a bald face and three white heels.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 392, July 7, 1883|Various
In No. 298, The Watering-place, the rather heavy paint of the foliage gives a thin washy look to the foreground.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 68, No. 417, July, 1850|Various

British Dictionary definitions for wishy-washy

wishy-washy

/ (ˈwɪʃɪˌwɒʃɪ) /

adjective informal

lacking in substance, force, colour, etc

watery; thin

Derived forms of wishy-washy

wishy-washily, adverbwishy-washiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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wishy-washy

adjective

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Origin of wishy-washy

OTHER WORDS FROM wishy-washy

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Example sentences from the Web for wishy-washy

British Dictionary definitions for wishy-washy

adjective informal

Derived forms of wishy-washy

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

wishy-washy

adjective

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!

Origin of wishy-washy

OTHER WORDS FROM wishy-washy

Words nearby wishy-washy

Words related to wishy-washy

Example sentences from the Web for wishy-washy

British Dictionary definitions for wishy-washy

adjective informal

Derived forms of wishy-washy