milksop

/ˈmɪlkˌsɒp/

//ˈmɪlkˌsɒp// noun

"milksop" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“milksop” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A piece of bread sopped in milk.

Corpus desk

Index EN-milksop · milksop · English

milksop · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "M" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for milksop
PropertyValue
Headwordmilksop
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈmɪlkˌsɒp/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “milksop” in English

milksopfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

milksop is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈmɪlkˌsɒp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for milksop in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English milksop, mylk sop, mylke soppe, equivalent to milk + sop. The correct English form is milksop, spelled M-I-L-K-S-O-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A piece of bread sopped in milk.
  2. 2
    A dish consisting of bread pieces in a bowl, sprinkled with sugar and covered in hot milk.
  3. 3
    An easily frightened, ineffectual, or weak person.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how milksop appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. And vvho doth lead them but a paltrey fellovv,? / Long kept in Brittaine at our mothers coſt, / A milkeſopt, one that neuer in his life / Felt ſo much colde as ouer ſhooes in ſnovv: […]
  2. “That milksop of a creature pretend to be worthy of such a woman as Mrs. Pendennis,” broke out the Doctor: “where will impudence stop next!”

Etymology

From Middle English milksop, mylk sop, mylke soppe, equivalent to milk + sop.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "milksop"?
"milksop" is spelled M-I-L-K-S-O-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈmɪlkˌsɒp/.
What does "milksop" mean?
As a noun, "milksop" means: A piece of bread sopped in milk.
How do you pronounce "milksop"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "milksop" is /ˈmɪlkˌsɒp/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "milksop"?
From Middle English milksop, mylk sop, mylke soppe, equivalent to milk + sop. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list