milquetoast
UK /ˈmɪlk.təʊ̯st/ · US /ˈmɪlk.toʊ̯st/ adjective, noun
Forms milquetoasts milktoast
- adjective (originally US, informal, derogatory) Meek, timid; lacking character or effectiveness.
- noun (originally US, informal, derogatory) A person of meek or timid disposition; a person who lacks character or effectiveness.
Synonyms
feeble ineffectual insipid softy wimp wuss big girl's blouse candy-arse candy-ass crybaby milksop namby namby-pamby nestle-cock pansy pantywaist poon punk pushover pussy sissy
Etymology
Named after Caspar Milquetoast, a character from the comic strip The Timid Soul, created by American cartoonist Harold Tucker Webster (1885–1952) and first published in 1924; the character was named after the American dish milk toast (“a food consisting of toasted bread in warm milk”), from milque (pseudo-Gallicism derived from English milk) + toast.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “milquetoast”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details