wishy-washyadj.int.n.
/ˈwɪʃɪˌwɒʃi/, /ˌwɪʃɪˈwɒʃi/, U.S. /ˈˌwɪʃiˈˌwɔʃi/, /ˈˌwɪʃiˈˌwɑʃi/ 1. Of drink (or liquid food): Weak and insipid; sloppy. Also dialect as n. (see quot. 1824).
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > taste and flavour > insipidity > [adjective]
wallowc897
smatchless?c1225
unsavoury?c1225
fresha1398
savourlessa1398
wearish1398
wershed1398
fond?c1430
unsavoured1435
palled1440
mildc1450
walsh1513
wallowish1548
dead1552
waterish1566
cold1585
flatten1594
seasonless1595
wersha1599
blown1600
flash1601
fatuous1608
tasteless1611
flat1617
insipid1620
ingustable1623
flashy1625
flatted1626
saltless1633
gustless1636
remiss1655
rheumatical1655
untasteable1656
vapid1656
exolete1657
distasted1662
vappous1673
insulse1676
toothless1679
mawkisha1697
intastable1701
waugh1703
impoignant1733
flavourless1736
instimulating1740
deadish1742
mawky1755
brineless1791
wishy-washy1791
keestless1802
shilpit1814
wish-washy1814
sapidless1821
silent1826
slushy1839
bland1878
spendsavour1879
wish-wash1896
dolled1917
spiceless1980
the world > food and drink > drink > types or qualities of beverage > [adjective] > watery
wishy-washy1791
wish-washy1814
wish-wash1896
1791 Massachusetts Spy 12 May 2/1 He..looked at the broth—and d——d it for wishy washy stuff.
1824 J. Mactaggart Sc. Gallovidian Encycl. 481 Wishie-washie, small drink; ale with~out foam; whisky without bells.
1843 R. S. Surtees Handley Cross II. ii. 64 None of your flagon-of-ale and round-of-beef breakfasts nowadays—slip-slop, wishy-washy, milk-and-water, effeminate stuff.
1898 A. Balfour To Arms vii Their wishy-washy, watery wine.
2. figurative.
a. Feeble or poor in constitution, condition, or aspect; weakly, sickly, ‘washed-out’. Now rare or Obsolete.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > [adjective] > in state of ill health or diseased > weak
unmightyeOE
unferea1060
unwieldc1220
fade1303
lewc1325
weak1340
fainta1375
sicklyc1374
unwieldyc1386
impotent1390
delicatea1398
lowa1398
unmighta1450
unlustyc1450
low-brought1459
wearyc1480
failed1490
worn1508
caduke?1518
fainty1530
weak1535
debile1536
fluey1545
tewly?1547
faltering1549
puling1549
imbecilec1550
debilitate1552
flash1562
unable1577
unhealthful1595
unabled1597
whindling1601
infirm1608
debilitated1611
bedrid1629
washya1631
silly1636
fluea1645
tender1645
invaletudinary1661
languishant1674
valetudinaire?c1682
puly1688
thriftless1693
unheartya1699
wishy-washy1703
enervate1706
valetudinarian1713
lask1727
wersh1755
palliea1774
wankle1781
asthenic1789
atonic1792
squeal1794
adynamic1803
worn-down1814
totterish1817
asthenical1819
prostrate1820
used up1823
wankya1825
creaky1834
groggy1834
puny1838
imbeciled1840
rickety-rackety1840
muscleless1841
weedy1849
tottery1861
crocky1880
wimbly-wambly1881
ramshackle1889
twitterly1896
twittery1907
wonky1919
strung out1959
1703 R. Steele Tender Husband i. (1705) 12 Pray, Brother, observe his Make, none of your Lath-back'd wishy washy Breed.
1748 T. Smollett Roderick Random I. xxiv. 221 A good seaman he is,..none of your Guinea pigs,—nor your fresh-water, wishy washy, fair-weather fowls.
1838 Countess Granville Lett. (1894) II. 261 I am quite well now, only rather wishy-washy.
1856 N. Hawthorne Jrnl. 5 Sept. in Eng. Notebks. (1997) II. v. 133 A wishy-washy woman's face.
b. Feeble or poor in quality or character; trifling, unsubstantial, trashy, ‘milk-and-watery’. †Also rarely as int. = pish! tush!
ΘΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > lack of violence, severity, or intensity > [adjective] > weak (of immaterial things)
thin?c1225
wateryc1230
feeble1393
wash1548
waterish1549
fadea1554
limping1577
dilute1605
lank1607
languid1622
water gruel1630
invalid1635
sinewless1644
exsanguine1647
flaccid1647
diluted1681
wishy-washy1693
tiffany1694
foible1715
rickety1738
faintly1771
unrobust1775
pale1820
peely-wally1832
muscleless1841
weakling1848
weedy?1858
feeblose1882
papery1924
the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adjective] > insubstantial
thin?c1225
lighta1413
superficiala1425
sleevelessc1450
frivolous1549
frothy1593
windy1593
shallow1594
airy1600
ghostlessa1603
sleazy1648
tenuious1656
wishy-washy1693
gauzy1774
lathery1803
wish-washy1814
tenuousa1817
toy1821
flimsy1827
airy-fairy1857
facile1857
feeblish1882
popcorn1973
the mind > will > decision > irresolution or vacillation > inconstancy > [adjective] > weak in character or will
nesheOE
feeblec1200
softc1275
weaka1425
infirm1526
lithya1533
unheaded1577
spiritless1595
pappy1597
irresolute1600
marrowless1607
seducible1613
wax-nosedc1615
unsinewy?1623
reedy1628
swayable1642
short-spirited1647
weak-headed1654
lath-backed1676
will-less?1680
tiffany-trader1702
weak-minded1716
lax1751
lax-fibred1762
nerveless1783
wishy-washy1801
marcid1822
molluscous1836
boneless1848
weedy1849
putty-headed1857
flabby1862
weak-kneed1863
fibreless1864
invertebrate1867
chinless1881
backboneless1882
featherweight1885
spineless1885
weak-willed1885
totter-kneed1887
akratic1896
effete1905
weakling1906
gutless1915
willowish1919
Milquetoast1932
nannified1960
ball-less1967
1693 T. Urquhart & P. A. Motteux tr. F. Rabelais 3rd Bk. Wks. xxxvi. 298 Pan. Wishy, washy; Trolly, trolly [Fr. Tarabin, tarabas!].
1797 G. Colman Heir at Law ii. ii. 33 A lord without money be but a foolish, wishy washy kind of a thing a'ter all.
1801 T. Dibdin Il Bondocani iii. ii None of your wishy washy sparks that mince their steps.
1865 M. E. Braddon Doctor's Wife iii Isabel painted wishy-washy looking flowers on Bristol-board from Nature.
1867 A. Trollope Last Chron. Barset I. vii. 55 A weak, wishy-washy man, who had hardly any mind of his own to speak of.
1893 Nation (N.Y.) 9 Feb. 106/3 A silly, wishy-washy, inconclusive..style of writing.
Derivatives
ˈwishy-ˌwashiness n.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > weakness or feebleness > [noun]
feebleness1533
washiness1631
wateriness1660
wheyishness1803
inexpressiveness1815
ineffectiveness1865
nullity1883
wishy-washiness1891
1891 T. R. Lounsbury Stud. Chaucer III. vii. 193 He had..every..personal inducement to go on diluting his original to the utmost limit of wishi-washiness.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1928; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.int.n.1693