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squishiness

squishiness

7.4
A lack of firmness that makes rules or decisions unclear
  • noun
  • /ˈskwɪʃiˌnɛs/
  • Informal
translation icon : indecisión
  • The squishiness of the policy left many people feeling uncertain about its effectiveness.

Examples

  • The manager's squishiness in enforcing deadlines caused confusion among the team members.

  • Critics argue that the squishiness in their judgment makes them vulnerable to making poor decisions.

  • If if there was like a squishiness meter, then they both kind of appear on the same level.

  • So it would be natural to have learned that it makes more sense to exploit your opponent's rigid ideology than his general squishiness.

    Blog text (21)
  • Michael helped reiterate what I already knew: the book isn't about romance and squishiness.

    Blog text (19)

Synonyms

shakiness
vssquishiness
1 4.1

An unsteady trembling of the body or voice when you cannot keep them still

refers to weak decision and policy firmness rather than physical unsteadiness
looseness
vssquishiness
1 5.3

A lack of strictness or exactness in how something is done

focuses on lenient judgment and policy rather than technical inaccuracy
irresoluteness
vssquishiness
8.9

Not being able to make firm decisions

emphasizes lenient judgment and policy rather than mere hesitation
floppiness
vssquishiness
4.1

Soft and loose like a stuffed animal with no firm shape

applies to weak judgment and policy rather than physical softness

Antonyms

5 3.5

Being steady and determined in words and actions

5 3.2

The ability to choose quickly and confidently

How Firm

resoluteness
1 6.0
firmness
5 3.5
leniency
26 4.6
squishiness
  • Informal
7.4
indecision
19 3.4

Surface Forms

squishiness singular
squishinesses plural

Morphology

squishiness = squishy (semi-transparent) = squish + y + ness

Morphologically formed by adding '-ness' to 'squishy', which is a regular nominalization.

Etymology

Squishiness is also used in a figurative way from the verb squish, 'to press and make soft'. A helpful way to remember this is to imagine a rule or person that is soft like squashed fruit — not firm or strict — so squishiness means 'a lack of firmness or decisiveness'.