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Originally a Hebrew word, popularized in English by the cartoonist Herb Gardner. A `sad sack,' a loser, a person who can't make any thing or any situation work right for him or her; unassertive, shy, timid. Reference: `The Joys of Yiddish,' by Leo Rosten. His definition is "An innocuous, ineffectual, weak, helpless or hapless unfortunate." There are other spellings also.
The poor little fourth-grader was such a nebbish that she peed in her pants, rather than speaking up and asking the teacher for a hall pass to go to the bathroom.
nebbish by Chuck Hastings June 29, 2003
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A nebbish is an ineffectual person, someone timid, submissive, weak, helpless or hapless, a nonentity. He's unlucky, but mainly because he’s a loser right through to the core.

It’s an adjective formed from one of the most characteristic of Yiddish words. It was originally "nebech". In Yiddish it was originally an interjection, roughly meaning “You poor thing!”. Americans had trouble saying this word when it first appeared in the English language at the end of the nineteenth century, and they changed it to nebbish, with nebbishy as the much less common adjective.
Sarah: "He just sits there, and every time I make a suggestion, he goes with it, but mostly because he doesn't understand what I'm saying and has no dang opinion for himself!"
Marie: "Gosh, he's so nebbish."
Nebbish by Wone1568 April 28, 2011
Related Words
Describes a person who, when they leave a room, makes those remaining in the room, feel like somebody just walked in
Wow thats a relief - the nebbish has gone
nebbish by Poppette May 13, 2016
1) An unitelligent person

or

2) A knobbily cabbage
1) "Ugh, my teacher is such a nebbish- he thought that Portugal was in South America!"

or

2) "We had nebbish for dinner last night- it was disgusting."
nebbish by Write_a_Zoo January 9, 2010

nebbish/neb 

when somthing smells nebish it often refers to the putrid smell of neb. Nebbish smells often are caused by a constant lack of showers, deoderant, and body wask. Once you enherit the smell it is almost impossible to remove it off your body. It is the most powerful substance in the world. If smelt, it could be fatal for that person.
Mark: Hi Coleen.
Coleen: Hi Mark.
Mark: What is that horrible nebbish odor?
Coleen: What do you mean?
Mark: It smells like you had just baved in a 500,000 ton pile of horse shit. Must be Neb.

Nebbish/Neb
nebbish/neb by BOSnd417 March 16, 2010

security nebbish

The equivalent of a Star Trek Redshirt, these ominous looking people are usually dressed in black tactical gear (but also can be in street clothes.)Their only purpose is to be killed by the protagonist (if they are protecting the bad guys) or killed by the antagonist or his minions (if they are protecting the Good Guys). It is pointless having them around in either situation because their main use is to plug up gaping plot holes in an idiotic movie.
"Man, look at all of that firepower!"
"Most of them are Security Nebbishes so they won't be able to harm us."
security nebbish by CryHavoc July 17, 2019
Having quality that makes something appear to be made by, thought of, etc. by a newb (look up newb or newbie). This word is used when someone asks a question with a seemingly obvious answer. Also when someone produces poor quality work, esp. in mapping or similar computer game activities.

Also spelled as "noobish"
"I have a newbish question..."
"That looks quite newbish..."
newbish by BlastMaster February 5, 2003
More from Urban Dictionary

pod person 

A person pretending to be something they aren't, or an impostor. This is inferred because of the old alien movies where alien pods appear on earth and the "pod people" dispose of the humans and slowly reproduce the bodies, pretending to be humans.
The pod person was pretending to be my father, but I knew that he was an alien when he acted differently than my father ever would have.
pod person by Christopher M. May 9, 2005
Word of the Day on November 10, 2026
A dead drop is a location used to secretly pass items between two people, without requiring them to meet.

Spies have been known to use dead drops, using various techniques to hide the items and to signal that the drop has been made. Drug dealers use this as well.

A common place is to duct tape the item to the underside of a toilet cover in a public restroom.

A signal is sometimes used as well to indicate there is something to pickup, like a pile of stones in a certain formation. After checking the drop the signal is removed.
"The dead drop is the restroom toilet at the Gulf station at the corner of Commercial Ave. and Georges Rd."
dead drop by rubberroom July 23, 2008
Word of the Day on November 9, 2026

No Surprises Wedding

A "No Surprises Wedding," or NSW, is a wedding invitation designation that tells attendees that there can be no unplanned announcements, engagements, events or speeches at the wedding - all actions must be pre-approved by the couple. Anyone who performs an unapproved "surprise" will be asked to leave the wedding early.

This designation comes from Reddit, where so many stories of bad wedding behavior indicated a need to communicate expectations for the wedding behavior of attendees.
You are cordially invited to the nuptials of Brian and Tom on October 31 at noon.

Please note that this wedding is child-free (under 10) and a No Surprises Wedding (NSW). Reach out to wedding planner Sami Smith to request approvals or exceptions; please note that exceptions will be rare. Limited child care for under-10s will be available. All approvals will be noted and included in planning. Unapproved, or surprise exceptions, will result in guests being asked to leave.
Word of the Day on November 8, 2026
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