wishy-washy
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms, Wikipedia.
wish·y-wash·y
(wĭsh′ē-wŏsh′ē, -wô′shē)adj. wish·y-wash·i·er, wish·y-wash·i·est Informal
1.
a. Irresolute or indecisive: a wishy-washy supervisor who can't decide what to do.
b. Lacking in purpose; weak or ineffective: a wishy-washy response to the criticism.
2. Thin and watery, as tea or soup.
[Reduplication of washy, thin, watery, from wash.]
wish′y-wash′i·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
wishy-washy
(ˈwɪʃɪˌwɒʃɪ)adj
1. lacking in substance, force, colour, etc
2. watery; thin
ˈwishy-ˌwashily adv
ˈwishy-ˌwashiness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
wish•y-wash•y
(ˈwɪʃ iˌwɒʃ i, -ˌwɔ ʃi)adj.
1. lacking in decisiveness; without strength or character; irresolute.
2. washy or watery, as a liquid; thin and weak.
[1685–95; gradational compound based on washy]
wish′y-wash`i•ly, adv.
wish′y-wash`i•ness, n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. | wishy-washy - weak in willpower, courage or vitality weak - wanting in physical strength; "a weak pillar" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
wishy-washy
adjective
1. feeble, weak, bland, ineffective, ineffectual, insipid, vapid, jejune I can't stand indecisive, wishy-washy men.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
wishy-washy
adjectiveThe American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
wishy-washy
[ˈwɪʃɪˌwɒʃɪ] ADJ [colour] → soso; [beer] → insípido; [answer, solution] → a medias; [thinking, ideas] → vago; [person] → sin carácterCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
wishy-washy
adj coffee, soup → labberig, wässrig; person, character → saft- und kraftlos, farblos, lasch; colour → verwaschen; argument → schwach (inf); report, story → ungenau, wachsweich, wischiwaschi (inf)
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
wishy-washy
[ˈwɪʃɪˌwɒʃɪ] adj (fam) (colour) → slavato/a; (person, argument, ideas) → insulso/aCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995