milquetoast

[ milk-tohst ]

noun

, (sometimes initial capital letter)

1. a very timid, unassertive, spineless person, especially one who is easily dominated or intimidated:

   a milquetoast who's afraid to ask for a raise.

milquetoast

/ ˈmɪlkˌtəʊst /

noun

1. a meek, submissive, or timid person

Word History and Origins

Origin of milquetoast¹

1935–40, Americanism; after Caspar Milquetoast, a character in The Timid Soul, comic strip by H. T. Webster (1885–1952), American cartoonist

Word History and Origins

Origin of milquetoast¹

C20: from Caspar Milquetoast, a cartoon character invented by H. T. Webster (1885–1952)

Example Sentences

News outlets ended up with articles bogged down in parsing federal law, carefully defining what exactly counts as an altercation, and quoting milquetoast official statements like “There was an incident and a report was filed.”

From Salon

Sen. Maria Cantwell, had a similarly milquetoast response to the verdict, reciting it as a faraway thing that had just happened.

From Seattle Times

This is just a milquetoast “Trans 101” about how to be an ally,’” Sancheznieto explains.

From Science Magazine

The premise of a “uniparty” is that conventional Democrats and Republicans are all milquetoast flavors of the same weak broth.

From Seattle Times

It’s a clip so milquetoast and lacking in moral clarity it’s cringe-inducing to watch.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• milksop
• mollycoddle
• pushover