wimp
/wɪmp/noun, verb, adjective
wimp is spelled W-I-M-P: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a derogatory noun, wimp means “Someone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of wimp is wimps.
How many letters and syllables are in wimp?
| Letters | 4: W-I-M-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 40,703rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is wimp?
Wimp appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce wimp?
- /wɪmp/
Wimp has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-wimp.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of wimp
- wimps plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- whimp
- wimping participle, present
- wimped participle, past
- more wimp comparative
- most wimp superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does wimp mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
derogatoryslangSomeone who lacks confidence or courage, is weak, ineffectual, irresolute and wishy-washy.
- 2
Alternative letter-case form of WIMP.
verb
- 1
slangTo behave submissively.
- 2
slangTo make (something) weak or wimpy.
adjective
- 1
slangWeak, wimpy.
noun
- 1
Acronym of weakly interacting massive particle.
- 2
Acronym of window, icon, menu, pointer, a graphical interface paradigm.
- 3
rareAcronym of window-icon-mouse program.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Wimp in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense someone who lacks confidence:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | mauviette |
| German | Schwächling, Weichei |
| Portuguese | covarde, medroso, banana |
| Spanish | pusilánime, gallina, baldragas, pelele |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does wimp come from?
Possibly a clipping of whimper. The term was understood in the United States by the 1930s, as it was incorporated into the names of two famous media characters known for living up to that name: The devious but cowardly Popeye supporting-character called "J. Wellington Wimpy", and the soft-spoken character "Wallace Wimple" from the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).