nebesh

n

a fool, an ineffectual, clumsy or pathetic person. The word entered Eng-lish speech from Yiddish in which one of its meanings is a pitiful nonentity or 'loser'. The ultimate origin of the word is the Czech adjective nebohy, meaning unhappy, unfortunate or diseased. 'A nebech is more to be pitied than a shlemiel. You feel sorry for a nebech; you can dislike a shlemiel.' (The Joys of Yiddish, Leo Rosten, 1970)