wet blanket
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A timid person.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
wehtblangkuhtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈwɛtbˈlæŋkət
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
idiomaticmildly derogatory
A timid person; one who lacks confidence; a wimp.
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see wet, blanket.
verb
To disparage, belittle, or remove the satisfaction and joy from; to act as a wet blanket towards.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (idiomatic, mildly derogatory) A timid person; one who lacks confidence; a wimp.
Used this way, wet blanket is a reasonably familiar word with a faintly unfavourable edge. It stays understated rather than dramatic. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Slightly negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Mild
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Critical or judgemental
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Keep learning “wet blanket” by choosing the kind of practice you need next.
- Practice sentence writingWrite sentences with vocabulary and get instant feedback.
- Practice in contextAnswer short vocabulary questions drawn from real situations.
- Review vocabularyTest your recall and strengthen words over time.
- Practice typingType vocabulary from meanings, examples and other prompts.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.