neb·bish

[neb-ish]
noun Slang.
a pitifully ineffectual, luckless, and timid person.

Origin:
1890–95; < Yiddish nebekh poor, unfortunate, probably < Slavic; compare Czech nebohý poor; spelling with -sh perhaps < Western Yiddish forms of the word

neb·bish·y, adjective
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nebbish
1907, nebbich, from Yiddish, from a Slavic source akin to Czech neboh "poor, unfortunate," lit. "un-endowed."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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00:10
Nebbish is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Slang Dictionary

neb(bish) definition

[ˈnɛb(ɪʃ)]
  1. n.
    a dull person; a jerk. (From Yiddish.) : Taylor is such a nebbish. Why doesn't she just give up?
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
Suddenly, the nebbish scoundrel was no longer hilariously charming.
Synonyms
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