Word
jessie
Phoneticsjessie
/ˈdʒɛsi/
Definition
n. a man who is considered weak, soft, or easily scared.
n. a derogatory term for a man perceived as weak, effeminate, or cowardly. Often used as a mild to moderate insult in British and Australian dialects.
Examples
“Don't be such a jessie, just jump in the water.”
“His friends called him a jessie because he refused to go on the fastest roller coaster at the park.”
Examples
simple
“Don't be such a jessie, just jump in the water.”
contextual
“His friends called him a jessie because he refused to go on the fastest roller coaster at the park.”
Usage
Usually used as a countable noun, often preceded by 'a bit of a'.
Teaching tip
This term is specifically British/Australian and can be seen as offensive or sexist because it equates 'feminine' traits with weakness.
Real-World Examples
“Other stars have joined OnlyFans including Harry Potter actress Jessie Cave, rapper Cardi B and singers Lily Allen and Kate Nash.” Etymology
From Jess + -ie.
A hypochoristic form of Jane, Jean, etc., possibly under the influence of lassie or -ess and -ie. Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna.
From Jess or Jesse + -ie, from Ancient Greek Ἰεσσαί (Iessaí), from Hebrew יִשַׁי (Yishai).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/jessie