mealy-mouthed

or meal·y·mouthed

[ mee-lee-moutht, -mouthd ]

See synonyms for mealy-mouthed on Thesaurus.com

adjective

avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; inclined to mince words; insincere, devious, or compromising: Our local government is filled with mealy-mouthed politicians and self-serving bureaucrats.

Origin of mealy-mouthed

First recorded in 1565–75; mealy + mouthed

Other words from mealy-mouthed

meal·y-mouth·ed·ly [mee-lee-mou-thid-lee, -thid-, -moutht-, -mouthd-], /ˈmi liˌmaʊ θɪd li, -ðɪd-, -ˌmaʊθt-, -ˌmaʊðd-/, adverb
meal·y-mouth·ed·ness, noun

Words Nearby mealy-mouthed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mealy-mouthed in a sentence

They withdrew their slap on the wrist, while citing various mealy mouthed reasons.
A&E Ducks for Cover by Forgiving Phil Robertson | Michael Musto | December 30, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
As for all the timid, mealy-mouthed incrementalists, Porter has only contempt for that kind of thinking.
Janet Folger Porter, Abortion Warrior, on Her Heartbeat Crusade | Michelle Cottle | July 7, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Twenty-five years later, he wrote a mealy-mouthed not-quite apology for his rhetoric.
Al Sharpton’s Long Bill of Goods, From Tawana Brawley to Primetime | Stuart Stevens | June 3, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Appointing a task force on guns seems a little mealy-mouthed to me.
Obama's Guns Task Force | Michael Tomasky | December 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
That tape will prove far more persuasive than any expedient and mealy mouthed evasions.
How Obama Will Cash In on Paul Ryan: Medicare, Taxes, Education & More | Robert Shrum | August 13, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST

"It's no use being mealy-mouthed over this thing, Pete," he grated in that saw-mill voice of his.
The Wreckers | Francis Lynde
Never creature, but mealy-mouthed inquisitors, and shaven singing birds.
The Saint's Tragedy | Charles Kingsley
"You must ask him yourself," I replied, losing patience, whereon she called me a "mealy-mouthed little fool" and laughed.
Swallow | H. Rider Haggard
“You were mealy-mouthed,” he stated, with a genial retrospect in his voice.
The Locusts' Years | Mary Helen Fee
The grey zone surrounding the black muzzle gives the appearance designated “mealy-mouthed.”
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 5 | Various

British Dictionary definitions for mealy-mouthed

mealy-mouthed

adjective

hesitant or afraid to speak plainly; not outspoken

Origin of mealy-mouthed

C16: from mealy (in the sense: soft, soft-spoken)

Derived forms of mealy-mouthed

mealy-mouthedness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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