Nimby
adj, noun, phrase ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Someone who objects to the building of an undesirable structure in their neighborhood, especially in public policy debate. derogatory, usually
"politically correct green (as in vegetation) nimbies (may object to nuclear power plants, polluting factories, etc.)"
- 2 Opposition to something deemed harmful or unpleasant being located in one's own neighborhood. uncountable
"The very thought of having even a secure landfill anywhere near them is anathema to most Americans today. It's an attitude referred to in the trade as NIMBY -- "not in my backyard.""
- 3 someone who objects to siting something in their own neighborhood but does not object to it being sited elsewhere; an acronym for not in my backyard wordnet
- 4 Synonym of nimby. countable
"Here again, the NIMBYs will try to derail any new dam project."
- 1 Not wanting to have to deal with unpleasant or distasteful things near them.
"Their vote against measures to help refugees has been perceived by the socially conscious margin of society as a typically nimby attitude."
- 2 Synonym of nimby.
"The problem is that these demands tend to be more parochial than millenial,^([sic]) much more NIMBY (not in my back yard) than global, and more concerned with financial well-being than ecological health."
- 1 Not in my backyard (in objection to an undesirable structure built locally). UK, US
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of nimby. UK, US, alt-of
"In cities like Houston, for example, all-white zoning boards targeted Black neighborhoods for the siting of noxious facilities, like landfills, incinerators and garbage dumps. Robert Bullard, a professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University, has called the practice “PIBBY” or “Place In Blacks’ Back Yard” — a spin on the acronym “NIMBY” (“Not In My Back Yard”)."
Synonyms
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More examples"politically correct green (as in vegetation) nimbies (may object to nuclear power plants, polluting factories, etc.)"
Etymology
Acronym of not in my back yard. More at NIMBY.
Was used in a 1980 article by British writer Emilie Travel Livezey; popularized by British politician Nicholas Ridley, who was Conservative Secretary of State for the Environment. Prior to that, Joseph A. Lieberman, a member of the US Atomic Energy Commission, gave a keynote address in early 1979 at the Fort Magruder Conference Center in which he reportedly asserted that "the 'nimby' (not in my backyard) syndrome must be eliminated." As reported in the Newport News (Virginia) Daily Press, Tuesday, February 13th, 1979, "Radioactive Waste: National Regulations Needed." Source: WorldHistories.net.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.