What it means
A ninny is a mild old-school put-down for someone who's being silly, timid, or a bit soft in the head. It lands more as fond exasperation than real venom, the kind of word you'd use when someone's flapping over nothing or acting daft in a harmless way.
Usage examples
"She felt a proper ninny for screaming at the toy spider her nephew had hidden in the biscuit tin."
"Only a ninny would lend him money again after the last three times he conveniently forgot to pay it back."
"Don’t be such a ninny about the dark, it is the same hallway you walk down twenty times a day."
"I forgot my keys were in my own pocket and spent ten minutes tearing up the flat like a right ninny."
"He's not dangerous, just a bit of a ninny when anything even slightly stressful happens."
Where it comes from
Ninny has been around in English since the 16th century as a word for a fool or simpleton. It's widely linked to innocent, with the sense sliding over time from someone innocent to someone seen as simple or foolish. An older related form, ninnyhammer, turned up in early modern English too.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.