# Wendy

/ˈwɛndi/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wendy
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. female name

noun · CEFR A1

a common first name for a woman.

For teachers: a female given name, famously popularised by J.M. Barrie's 'Peter Pan'.

- Wendy invited all her friends to her birthday party last Saturday.
- The name Wendy saw a significant surge in popularity during the early twentieth century following the success of the play Peter Pan.

### 2. a weak person

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Slang · Informal

a person who is weak or easily afraid.

For teachers: a derogatory term for a person perceived as weak, cowardly, or overly sensitive.

- Don't be such a wendy; the water isn't even that cold.
- The schoolyard bully dismissed his peers as wendies whenever they hesitated to participate in his dangerous stunts.

Usage: Usually used as a countable noun in a dismissive or insulting way.

Teaching tip: This sense is specific to British English and is considered quite childish or dated; it is less common than 'wimp' or 'wuss'.

## Examples

- If this trade fails, I will be working at Wendy's next week.
- After the market crash, the forum was full of jokes about filling out applications at Wendy's.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.