nebbish
noun
- a timid, meek, or ineffectual person
- a nerdy, clumsy, awkward person
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈnɛ.bɪʃ/
noun
Etymology: From American Yiddish נעביש (nebish), from נעבעך (nebekh, “poor, unfortunate”).
- One who is fearful, indecisive and timid, especially in making decisions and plans, in discussions, debates, arguments, and confrontations, and in taking responsibility.
“Actor Rick Moranis often plays a nebbish.”
““I don't consider myself a nebbish,” Woody told interviewers early in his career, “but everyone else does.””