adjective · rare

wishy-washy

wishy-washy · wishy-washier · wishy-washiest

невыразительный, безликий, бледный, хилый

Wischiwaschi-, verwässert

Wavering; lacking in commitment, certainty, support, and clarity; namby-pambyWavering; lacking in commitment, certainty, support, and (often) clarity; namby-pamby.

UK/ˈwɪʃ.iˌwɒʃ.i/US/ˈwɪʃ.iˌwɑ.ʃi/

Meaning

2 senses

Wavering; lacking in commitment, certainty, support, and (often) clarity; namby-pamby.
Near-synonyms: vacillating, vacillatory
Not wanting to be pressed for details, public relations gave a wishy-washy answer.
Wischiwaschi-
невырази́тельныйnevyrazítelʹnyj, безли́кийbezlíkij, бле́дныйblédnyj
Thin or watery.
Near-synonyms: watered-down, diluted, dilute
The wishy-washy orange juice served by the cafeteria not only failed to be sweet; it was barely orange.
verwässert
водяни́стыйvodjanístyj, сла́быйslábyj, жи́дкийžídkij

More definitions

lacking courage or vitality

Translations

6 languages

Русский

By meaning 2

wavering or lacking in commitment, certainty, or support:

thin or watery:

Deutsch

By meaning 2

wavering or lacking in commitment, certainty, or support:

thin or watery:

Origin

Reduplication of washy; more at Wikipedia under ablaut reduplication. The wish portion of

Reduplication of washy; more at Wikipedia under ablaut reduplication. The wish portion of the term is explained much more by the ablaut reduplication than by any coincidental semantic appropriateness (such as that wishy-washy people wish that they could have it both ways), although the latter effect may play some nonzero cognitive role in word-finding. Compare also swish, swash, splish, and splash regarding any possible sound symbolism.

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