weasel word

American  

noun

1. a word used to temper the forthrightness of a statement; a word that makes one's views equivocal, misleading, or confusing.

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weasel word Idioms  

1. A word used to deprive a statement of its force or evade a direct commitment, as in Calling it “organized spontaneity” is using a weasel word; “organized” has sucked the meaning out of “spontaneity.” This idiom may allude to the weasel's habit of sucking the contents out of a bird's egg, so that only the shell remains. [Late 1800s]

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• weasel-worded
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of weasel word

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

Why use a wishy-washy weasel word such as “baseless”? Call his claims what they are: false.

From Washington Post • Jan. 22, 2021

This seems appropriate because “militia” is very much a weasel word.

From The Guardian • Oct. 10, 2020

“Comity” has become a nostalgic weasel word, but you can’t help but be struck by it in the 1973 proceedings.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2019

"It is unlikely I could get through a confirmation hearing because I would not weasel word."

From Scientific American • Feb. 14, 2018

Am I in fact agnostic – that weasel word of English compromise for someone who isn’t sure?

From Salon • Aug. 15, 2015