What does "wimp" mean?
Someone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy.
Wimp
/wɪmp/ adj, name, noun, verb, slang
adj, name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Someone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy.
- Grammar: wimp is listed as adj, name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: milksop, avoidant person, back out, chicken.
- Useful contrasts: act decisively, adventurer, athlete.
- Usage evidence: Tom didn't want Mary to think he was a wimp.
How to use "wimp"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "wimp" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "wimp" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "wimp" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "wimp" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "wimp" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "milksop" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "wimp", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Someone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy. derogatory, slang
"(see title)"
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of WIMP. alt-of
- 3 Acronym of weakly interacting massive particle. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, uncountable
- 4 a hypothetical subatomic particle of large mass that interacts weakly with ordinary matter through gravitation; postulated as a constituent of the dark matter of the universe wordnet
- 5 Acronym of window, icon, menu, pointer, a graphical interface paradigm. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, uncountable
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 a person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy wordnet
- 7 Acronym of window-icon-mouse program. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, rare, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To behave submissively. intransitive, slang
""They were wimping along and I was accomplished," she asserts with some pride and a touch of arrogance."
- 2 To make (something) weak or wimpy. slang, transitive
"If you're particularly fond of Foster's, Heineken or Moosehead at home, you will be disappointed to find that it's been wimped down for the American market."
Adjective
- 1 Weak, wimpy. slang
Proper Noun
- 1 Initialism of Windows, Internet Information Services, MySQL/MariaDB, and PHP/Perl/Python. Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Tom didn't want Mary to think he was a wimp."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "wimp"?
Common synonyms include: milksop, avoidant person, back out, chicken, coward, cower.
How do you use "wimp" in a sentence?
Tom didn't want Mary to think he was a wimp.
How do you pronounce "wimp"?
Pronounced /wɪmp/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Possibly a clipping of whimper. The term was understood in the United States by the 1930s, as it was incorporated into the names of two famous media characters known for living up to that name: The devious but cowardly Popeye supporting-character called "J. Wellington Wimpy", and the soft-spoken character "Wallace Wimple" from the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly.
Etymology 2
See WIMP.