nimby

Phrase (1)

nimby

1. (UK, US) Not in my backyard (in objection to an undesirable structure built locally).

Noun (1)

nimby (plural nimbies or nimbys)

1. (derogatory, usually) Someone who objects to the building of an undesirable structure in their neighborhood, especially in public policy debate.
   • politically correct green (as in vegetation) nimbies (may object to nuclear power plants, polluting factories, etc.)
   • socially conservative brown (as in shirts) nimbies (may object to the building of jails, prisons, housing for ex-convicts, drinking or adult entertainment establishments)

Adjective (1)

nimby (comparative more nimby, superlative most nimby)

1. Not wanting to have to deal with unpleasant or distasteful things near them.
   • Their vote against measures to help refugees has been perceived by the socially conscious margin of society as a typically nimby attitude.
   • […] to be obvious exaggerations of the threats, but rather focused on critiquing the means employed—i.e., the various enforcement techniques that adversely affected innocent bystanders—and in a very nimby (not in my back yard) sort of way.2010, Timothy J. Dunn, Blockading the Border and Human Rights, page 32

Phrase (2) capitalized: NIMBY

IPA/ˈnɪmbi/

NIMBY

1. (UK, US) Alternative letter-case form of nimby.
   • In cities like Houston, for example, all-white zoning boards targeted Black neighborhoods for the siting of noxious facilities, like landfills, incinerators and garbage dumps. Robert Bullard, a professor of urban planning and environmental policy at Texas Southern University, has called the...2021 November 2, Lylla Younes, Ava Kofman, Al Shaw and Lisa Song, “Poison in the Air”, in ProPublica, archived from the original on 17 Feb 2023

   Synonyms:

   BANANA

Noun (2) capitalized: NIMBY

IPA/ˈnɪmbi/

NIMBY (countable and uncountable, plural NIMBYs)

1. (uncountable) Opposition to something deemed harmful or unpleasant being located in one's own neighborhood.
   • The very thought of having even a secure landfill anywhere near them is anathema to most Americans today. It's an attitude referred to in the trade as NIMBY -- "not in my backyard."1980 November 6, Emilie Travel Livezey, “Hazardous waste”, in The Christian Science Monitor
   • Newman believes much of the resistance to the project stems from NIMBY (Not-In-My-Back-Yard) sentiment2016, Annalise Klingbeil, “Decision day looms for Drop-In Centre's controversial hotel housing project”, in Calgary Herald
2. (countable) Synonym of nimby.
   • Here again, the NIMBYs will try to derail any new dam project.2008, David Paul Brennan, 50 Programs to Save the Economy
   • To distinguish themselves from NIMBYs, the current generation of housing activists has adopted new “back yard” variants (YIMBY, “Yes in my backyard”; PHIMBY, “Public housing in my backyard”; YIGBY, “Yes in God’s backyard”) to declare how they are for things (everything, subsidized housing, building...2022 June 5, Conor Dougherty, “Twilight of the NIMBY”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 10 Jun 2022

Adjective (2) capitalized: NIMBY

IPA/ˈnɪmbi/

NIMBY (comparative more NIMBY, superlative most NIMBY)

1. Synonym of nimby.
   • The problem is that these demands tend to be more parochial than millenial,^([sic]) much more NIMBY (not in my back yard) than global, and more concerned with financial well-being than ecological health.1990, Steven Anzovin, Preserving the world ecology
   • “There's a very 'NIMBY' feel about it,” Allen said.2012 August 20, Bridget Clerkin, “New West Windsor outpatient addiction treatment facility answers call to serve local need”, in The Times of Trenton