nebbish

nebbish
nebbish (n.) 1905, nebbich, from Yiddish (used as a Yiddish word in American English from 1890s), from a Slavic source akin to Czech neboh "poor, unfortunate," lit. "un-endowed," from Proto-Slavic *ne-bogu-, with negative prefix (see UN- (Cf. un-) (1)) + PIE *bhag- "to share out, apportion" (see -PHAGOUS (Cf. -phagous)).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Nebbish — Neb bish (m[e^]b [i^]sh) n. [Yiddish, nebekh poor, unfortunate.] A person who is ineffectual, timid, and often luckless; a person of no significance. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • nebbish — ☆ nebbish [neb′ish ] n. [< Yiddish nebekh, pity, pitiably] a person who is pitifully inept, ineffective, shy, dull, etc. nebbishy adj …   English World dictionary

  • nebbish — noun a) One who is fearful and timid, especially in making decisions and plans, in discussions, debates, arguments, and confrontations, and in taking responsibility. Actor often plays a nebbish. b) A loser. “I dont consider myself a nebbish,”… …   Wiktionary

  • nebbish — noun Etymology: Yiddish nebekh poor, unfortunate, from Czech nebohý Date: 1951 a timid, meek, or ineffectual person • nebbishy adjective …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • nebbish — nebbishy, adj. /neb ish/, n. Slang. a pitifully ineffectual, luckless, and timid person. [1890 95; < Yiddish nebekh poor, unfortunate, prob. < Slavic; cf. Czech nebohý poor; sp. with sh perh. < Western Yiddish forms of the word] * * * …   Universalium

  • nebbish — Synonyms and related words: Milquetoast, a nobody, a nothing, baby, big baby, chicken, cipher, common man, crybaby, doormat, dud, dull tool, dummy, figurehead, gutless wonder, hollow man, insignificancy, invertebrate, jackstraw, jellyfish, lay… …   Moby Thesaurus

  • nebbish — (Roget s Thesaurus II) noun A totally insignificant person: cipher, nobody, nonentity, nothing. Informal: pip squeak, zero. Slang: shrimp, zilch. See IMPORTANT …   English dictionary for students

  • nebbish — n a fool, an ineffectual, clumsy or pathetic person. The word entered Eng lish speech from Yiddish in which one of its meanings is a pitiful nonentity or loser . The ultimate origin of the word is the Czech adjective nebohy, meaning unhappy,… …   Contemporary slang

  • nebbish — nebɪʃ n. (Slang) pathetic person, pitiful person (Yiddish) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • nebbish —    (NEH bish) [Yiddish, from Czech] An unfortunate; a weak, luckless, and ineffectual person; a wimp; a loser; a pitiful specimen …   Dictionary of foreign words and phrases

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