wishy-washy

  • 1Wishy-washy — Wish y wash y, a. [See {Wash}.] Thin and pale; weak; without strength or substance; originally said of liquids. Fig., weak minded; spiritless. [1913 Webster] A weak wishy washy man who had hardly any mind of his own. A. Trollope. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 2wishy-washy — [wish′ē wôsh΄ē] adj. [redupl. of WASHY] Informal 1. watery; insipid; thin 2. a) weak; feeble b) vacillating; indecisive wishy washily adv …

    English World dictionary

  • 3wishy-washy — 1690s, feeble or poor in quality, reduplication of washy thin, watery (see WASH (Cf. wash)). Meaning vacillating first recorded 1873 …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 4Wishy-washy — Wish y wash y, n. A weak or thin drink or liquor; wish wash. [1913 Webster] …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 5wishy-washy — *insipid, vapid, flat, jejune, banal, inane Analogous words: spiritless, enervated, *languid, listless: *weak, feeble: diluted, attenuated, thinned (see THIN vb) Contrasted words: *spirited, high spirited, mettlesome, spunky, fiery, peppery,… …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 6wishy-washy — [adj] bland, dull banal, characterless, cowardly, enervated, feeble, flat, flavorless, indecisive, ineffective, ineffectual, insipid, irresolute, jejune, languid, listless, mediocre, namby pamby*, sapless, spiritless, tasteless, thin, vacillating …

    New thesaurus

  • 7wishy-washy — ► ADJECTIVE 1) (of a drink or soup) weak or thin. 2) feeble or insipid …

    English terms dictionary

  • 8wishy-washy — wish|y wash|y [ˈwıʃi ˌwɔʃi US ˌwo:ʃi, ˌwa:ʃi] adj informal [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: washy thin, watery (16 20 centuries), from wash] 1.) someone who is wishy washy does not have firm or clear ideas and seems unable to decide what they want used… …

    Dictionary of contemporary English

  • 9wishy-washy — adjective Etymology: reduplication of washy Date: 1703 1. lacking in character or determination ; ineffectual < wishy washy leadership > 2. lacking in strength or flavor ; weak < wishy washy wines > • wishy washiness …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 10wishy-washy — adjective informal 1 a wishy washy person does not have firm or clear ideas and seems unable to decide what they want: a bunch of wishy washy liberals 2 colours that are wishy washy are pale, not strong or dark …

    Longman dictionary of contemporary English