wimp

See also: WIMP

English

Etymology

Possible contraction 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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wɪmp/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪmp

Noun

wimp (plural wimps)

1. (derogatory, slang) Someone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy.

   Synonyms: sissy, softy, weenie, wuss; see also Thesaurus:milksop, Thesaurus:coward

2. Alternative spelling of WIMP

Derived terms

• wimpish
• wimply
• wimp out
• wimpy

Translations

someone who lacks confidence

• Breton: flakenn (br) f
• Bulgarian: мижитурка (bg) f (mižiturka)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 窝囊废 (zh) (wōnángfèi)

• Czech: slaboch m, padavka m, třasořitka m
• Danish: pjok n, skvat n
• Dutch: sul (nl) m, sukkel (nl) m (all mildly offensive)
• Finnish: nössö (fi), nynny (fi), nysväke, nahjus (fi)
• French: mauviette (fr) f
• Galician: monicreque m, monifate m
• German: Schwächling (de) m, Weichei (de) n
• Greek: φοβητσιάρης (el) m (fovitsiáris), φοβιτσιάρα f (fovitsiára)
• Haitian Creole: movyèt
• Indonesian: pecundang (id)
• Italian: vigliacco (it), mollusco (it), femminuccia (it), codardo (it), rammollito (it), pappamolle, smidollato (it), fifone (it), pollo (it), merlo (it), coccio (it), coniglio (it), mammoletta, debole (it), pusillanime (it), eunuco (it), pauroso (it), pisciasotto (it), cacasotto (it)
• Maori: harotu
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: pyse m or f

  Nynorsk: pyse m or f

• Polish: mięczak (pl) m, sierota (pl), wymoczek (pl) m, ciapa (pl), pierdoła (pl)
• Portuguese: covarde (pt), medroso (pt)
• Russian: тря́пка (ru) (trjápka), дрищ (ru) (drišč)
• Spanish: pusilánime (es), gallina (es) m or f, baldragas m
• Swedish: fjant (sv) c, mes (sv) c
• Tagalog: mahiyain

Verb

wimp (third-person singular simple present wimps, present participle wimping, simple past and past participle wimped)

1. (intransitive) To behave submissively.
   • 1994, Paul Lyons, Class of '66: Living in Suburban Middle America, page 156:

     "They were wimping along and I was accomplished," she asserts with some pride and a touch of arrogance.

2. (transitive) To render wimpy.
   • 2003, Andrea Schulte-Peevers, California, page 69:

     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.

Finnish

Etymology

According to the English abbreviation WIMP.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwimp/, [ˈwimp]
• Rhymes: -imp
• Syllabification^(key): wimp

Noun

wimp

1. (astronomy, physics) weakly interacting massive particle, WIMP

Declension

Inflection of wimp (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		wimp	wimpit
genitive		wimpin	wimpien
partitive		wimpiä	wimpejä
illative		wimpiin	wimpeihin
		singular	plural
nominative		wimp	wimpit
accusative	nom.	wimp	wimpit
	gen.	wimpin
genitive		wimpin	wimpien
partitive		wimpiä	wimpejä
inessive		wimpissä	wimpeissä
elative		wimpistä	wimpeistä
illative		wimpiin	wimpeihin
adessive		wimpillä	wimpeillä
ablative		wimpiltä	wimpeiltä
allative		wimpille	wimpeille
essive		wimpinä	wimpeinä
translative		wimpiksi	wimpeiksi
instructive		—	wimpein
abessive		wimpittä	wimpeittä
comitative		—	wimpeineen

Possessive forms of wimp (type risti)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	wimpini	wimpimme
2nd person	wimpisi	wimpinne
3rd person	wimpinsä