wishy-washy

10 synonyms and 7 antonyms for wishy-washy, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Adjective — Lacking firmness or clear opinions; vague, indecisive and unwilling to commit to a position.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

vague bland

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

indecisive noncommittal feeble namby-pamby insipid watery washed-out pallid

Synonyms by Meaning

1. adjective informal

Lacking firmness or clear opinions; vague, indecisive and unwilling to commit to a position.

“He gave a wishy-washy answer that pleased nobody.”

indecisive noncommittal vague feeble namby-pamby

Opposites

decisive firm forthright emphatic

2. adjective informal

Weak, pale or watery in colour, flavour or strength.

“The walls were painted a wishy-washy beige.”

insipid watery washed-out pallid bland

Opposites

vivid strong bold

How to use wishy-washy

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a wishy-washy answer wishy-washy liberal wishy-washy colours

Informal and always disapproving. Usually hyphenated.

Etymology

A reduplication of "washy", meaning thin or watery, with vowel variation of the kind found in dilly-dally and knick-knack.

Full origin of wishy-washy →

Frequently asked questions

Is wishy-washy hyphenated?

Yes. The standard spelling in both British and American dictionaries is wishy-washy with a hyphen. Writing it as two separate words is treated as an error.

What is the difference between wishy-washy and indecisive?

Indecisive describes someone who cannot make up their mind, and is fairly neutral. Wishy-washy is informal and more scornful, suggesting a general lack of backbone or conviction rather than a single hard decision.

Can wishy-washy describe a colour?

Yes. Applied to colour, flavour or drinks it means pale, weak or watery — a wishy-washy pink, a wishy-washy soup.

People also searched

strong firm bold decisive vague vivid bland feeble watery emphatic noncommittal insipid

Nearby words

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