mealy-mouthed

Or meal·y·mouthed

[mee-lee-moutht, -mouthd]

adjective

1. 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.

mealy-mouthed

adjective

1. hesitant or afraid to speak plainly; not outspoken

Other Word Forms

• mealy-mouthedly adverb
• mealy-mouthedness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mealy-mouthed¹

First recorded in 1565–75; mealy ( def. ) + mouthed ( def. )

Word History and Origins

Origin of mealy-mouthed¹

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

Example Sentences

The mealy-mouthed title of Raimi’s “Doctor Strange” sequel itself references one of the biggest problems with contemporary superhero filmmaking: Everything exists within a universe, and inside that universe, anything is possible.

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"The apologies we've had from the Post Office have been so mealy-mouthed, not thought through, and really not sincere."

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Even centrists must concede that Ocasio-Cortez is more popular than the mealy-mouthed Democrats who otherwise dominate the landscape.

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Their defenses of her were weak and mealy-mouthed, mostly lame assertions that she's a good Christian — which is hard to square with all the lying.

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As for Hollywood’s answer to Oval Office sycophants, Paul W. Downs works wonders as a mealy-mouthed comedy agent in ‘Hacks.’

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