a pitifully ineffectual, luckless, and timid person.
Origin
1890-95; < Yiddishnebekh poor, unfortunate, probably < Slavic; compare Czechnebohý poor; spelling with -sh perhaps < Western Yiddish forms of the word
Related forms
nebbishy, adjective
Examples from the web for nebbish
Suddenly, the nebbish scoundrel was no longer hilariously charming.
Word Origin and History for nebbish
n.
1905, nebbich, from Yiddish (used as a Yiddish word in American English from 1890s), from a Slavic source akin to Czech neboh "poor, unfortunate," literally "un-endowed," from Proto-Slavic *ne-bogu-, with negative prefix (see un- (1)) + PIE *bhag- "to share out, apportion" (see -phagous).
Slang definitions & phrases for nebbish
nebbish
noun
A person without charm, interesting qualities, talent, etc; wimp: ''Nebbish'' is simply the one in the crowd that you always forget to introduce/ Don't be a nebbish/ poor little nebs like Julian