Wordsmith.org: the magic of words


A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact  


Home

Today's Word

Yesterday's Word

Archives

FAQ


Jul 21, 2010
This week's theme
Words that look one part of speech but are other

This week's words
contumely
panegyric
nebbish
gloaming
beggar

Many ways to read AWAD
o Email
o Web
o Twitter
o RSS feed
o On your own website
Discuss
Feedback
RSS/XML
Bookmark and Share Facebook Twitter Digg MySpace Bookmark and Share
A.Word.A.Day
with Anu Garg

nebbish

PRONUNCIATION:
(NEB-ish)

MEANING:
noun: A pitifully timid or ineffectual person.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Yiddish nebekh (poor, unfortunate), of Slavic origin. Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhag- (to share) that is also the source of baksheesh, Sanskrit bhagya (good fortune), and words related to -phagy (eating), such as onychophagia and xerophagy.

USAGE:
"Jay Baruchel plays the hero -- a security officer at the Pittsburgh airport -- as such a tongue-tied, head-ducking nebbish that it's inconceivable that he would end up with the gorgeous, smart, kind, hockey-loving woman played by Alice Eve."
Mike Hale; Playing the Odds of Love; The New York Times; Mar 12, 2010.

See more usage examples of nebbish in Vocabulary.com's dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:
They are happy men whose natures sort with their vocations. -Francis Bacon, essayist, philosopher, and statesman (1561-1626)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith