wishy-washy
Americanadjective
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lacking in decisiveness; without strength or character; irresolute.
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washy or watery, as a liquid; thin and weak.
adjective
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lacking in substance, force, colour, etc
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watery; thin
Other Word Forms
- wishy-washily adverb
- wishy-washiness noun
Etymology
Origin of wishy-washy
First recorded in 1685–95; gradational compound based on washy
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.
It was when it reported on matters of which I had zero awareness: my HRV balance, for example, or my chronotype, albeit a wishy-washy “late morning,” a designation I plan to flip to early bird.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026
RFK Jr. then went on Joe Rogan’s podcast and made some wishy-washy remarks about the whole thing, including that glyphosate is “not a good thing to have in your food.”
From Slate • Mar. 5, 2026
On the stand, however, it sounds more like Sandra’s on trial for being wishy-washy, frustrated and occasionally callous.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2024
“There has never been a declaration as clear as this one. Often these declarations are wishy-washy, trying not to ruffle feathers.”
From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2023
How could a man who had been the warden of a prison—who was the Law Commissioner—be so wishy-washy when it came to what he believed?
From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat
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.
