milquetoast attitude
- noun
- /ˈmɪlkəˌtoʊst ˈætɪtjuːd/
- Informal
:
actitud timorata
- Her milquetoast attitude made it difficult for her to advocate for herself during meetings.
Examples
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Because of his milquetoast attitude, he rarely took risks at work.
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Management was frustrated by the team’s milquetoast attitude toward new challenges.
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His milquetoast attitude often frustrates his colleagues.
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Don't adopt a milquetoast attitude in this competitive environment!
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His milquetoast attitude prevented him from speaking up and sharing his ideas in the group discussion.
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With her milquetoast attitude, she always agreed with others instead of expressing her own opinions.
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The student's milquetoast attitude during the debate led to a lackluster performance and missed opportunities.
Synonyms
A weak, shy way of acting that avoids strong action
A strong fear of trying new things or meeting new people
Antonyms
How Assertive
8
4.6
46
3.0
1
4.9
1
6.0
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is directly compositional: 'milquetoast' (timid, unassertive) modifies 'attitude' (habitual way of thinking), so the overall meaning 'a timid or unassertive attitude' is immediately derivable from the parts. Although 'milquetoast' is low-frequency and etymologically name-based, if a learner knows the constituent meanings the noun–modifier pattern makes the sense transparent.
Etymology
The phrase milquetoast attitude comes from an old comic character named Caspar Milquetoast, who was so shy and weak that his name called to mind the soft food 'milk toast'. That's why milquetoast attitude means 'very timid' or not willing to stand up for yourself.