Meanings
wimp1
plural wimps · alternative whimp
- derogatoryslangSomeone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy.
(see title)
1980 March 15, “MUSH FROM THE WIMP”, in The Boston GlobeSynonyms: sissy, softy, weenie, wuss, big girl's blouse, candy-arse, candy-ass, crybaby
present singular third person wimps · participle present wimping · participle past wimped · past wimped
- intransitiveslangTo behave submissively.
"They were wimping along and I was accomplished," she asserts with some pride and a touch of arrogance.
1994, Paul Lyons, Class of '66: Living in Suburban Middle America, page 156
comparative more wimp · superlative most wimp
wimp2
WIMP3
plural WIMPs
- abbreviationacronymcountableastronomyAcronym of weakly interacting massive particle.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomeone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy.
More synonyms by meaning
nouna 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
nouna person who lacks confidence, is irresolute and wishy-washy
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
wimp · noun, verb, adjective
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian мижитурка
- мижитурка (mižiturka)someone who lacks confidence
Chinese Mandarin 窝囊废
- 窝囊废 (wōnángfèi)someone who lacks confidence
Czech slaboch, padavka
- slabochsomeone who lacks confidence
- padavkasomeone who lacks confidence
- třasořitkasomeone who lacks confidence
Danish pjok, skvat
- pjoksomeone who lacks confidence
- skvatsomeone who lacks confidence
- svagpissersomeone who lacks confidence
Dutch sul, sukkel
- sulsomeone who lacks confidence
- sukkelsomeone who lacks confidence
Finnish nössö, nynny
- nössösomeone who lacks confidence
- nynnysomeone who lacks confidence
- nysväkesomeone who lacks confidence
- nahjussomeone who lacks confidence
French mauviette
- mauviettesomeone who lacks confidence
German Schwächling, Weichei
- Schwächlingsomeone who lacks confidence
- Weicheisomeone who lacks confidence
Greek φοβητσιάρης, φοβιτσιάρα
- φοβητσιάρης (fovitsiáris)someone who lacks confidence
- φοβιτσιάρα (fovitsiára)someone who lacks confidence
Hebrew נְמוּשָׁה, סמרטוט
- נְמוּשָׁה (n'mushá)someone who lacks confidence
- סמרטוט (smartút)someone who lacks confidence
Indonesian pecundang
- pecundangsomeone who lacks confidence
Irish cladhaire, meatachán
- cladhairesomeone who lacks confidence
- meatachánsomeone who lacks confidence
Italian vigliacco, mollusco
- vigliaccosomeone who lacks confidence
- molluscosomeone who lacks confidence
- femminucciasomeone who lacks confidence
- codardosomeone who lacks confidence
- rammollitosomeone who lacks confidence
- pappamollesomeone who lacks confidence
- smidollatosomeone who lacks confidence
- fifonesomeone who lacks confidence
- pollosomeone who lacks confidence
- merlosomeone who lacks confidence
- cocciosomeone who lacks confidence
- conigliosomeone who lacks confidence
Japanese 弱虫, 臆病者
- 弱虫 (yowamushi)someone who lacks confidence
- 臆病者 (okubyoumono)someone who lacks confidence
Māori harotu
- harotusomeone who lacks confidence
Norwegian Bokmål pyse
- pysesomeone who lacks confidence
Polish mięczak, sierota
- mięczaksomeone who lacks confidence
- sierotasomeone who lacks confidence
- wymoczeksomeone who lacks confidence
- ciapasomeone who lacks confidence
- pierdołasomeone who lacks confidence
Portuguese covarde, medroso
- covardesomeone who lacks confidence
- medrososomeone who lacks confidence
- bananasomeone who lacks confidence
Russian тря́пка, дрищ
- тря́пка (trjápka)someone who lacks confidence
- дрищ (drišč)someone who lacks confidence
Spanish pusilánime, gallina
- pusilánimesomeone who lacks confidence
- gallinasomeone who lacks confidence
- baldragassomeone who lacks confidence
- pelelesomeone who lacks confidence
Swedish fjant, mes
- fjantsomeone who lacks confidence
- messomeone who lacks confidence
Tagalog mahiyain
- mahiyainsomeone who lacks confidence
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with wimp
All rhymes →Cite this entry
wimp. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wimp
“wimp.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wimp. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wimp,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wimp.
Source: wimp on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.