Walter Mitty


noun,plural Walter Mittys.
  1. an ordinary, timid person who is given to adventurous and self-aggrandizing daydreams or secret plans as a way of glamorizing a humdrum life.

Origin of Walter Mitty

1
From the title character of James Thurber's short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” (1939)

Other words from Walter Mitty

  • Walter Mittyish, adjective

Words Nearby Walter Mitty

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Walter Mitty in a sentence

Other Idioms and Phrases with Walter Mitty

Walter Mitty

A person, generally quite ordinary or ineffectual, who indulges in fantastic daydreams of personal triumphs. For example, He's a Walter Mitty about riding in a rodeo but is actually afraid of horses. This term comes from James Thurber's short story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1939), describing just such a character.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.