veiled

[ veyld ]

adjective

1. having a veil:

   a veiled hat.

2. covered or concealed by, or as if by, a veil:

   a veiled woman.

3. not openly or directly expressed; masked; disguised; hidden; obscure:

   a veiled threat.

4. lacking clarity or distinctness:

   veiled sounds; a veiled image.

veiled

/ veɪld; ˈveɪlɪdlɪ /

adjective

1. disguised

   a veiled insult

2. (of sound, tone, the voice, etc) not distinct; muffled

Derived Forms

• veiledly, adverb

Other Words From

• veil·ed·ly [vey-lid-lee], adverb
• half-veiled adjective
• well-veiled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of veiled¹

First recorded in 1585–95; veil + -ed ³

Example Sentences

While Merrill had tried to present a broader argument about employees and business owners, many of her employees perceived the op-ed to be directed in part to them — a veiled threat to their jobs.

From Washington Post

Nor is it subject to transparency laws such as the Freedom of Information Act, which makes it even more veiled than the most opaque departments elsewhere in the country.

From MIT Technology Review

Facebook removed the post for incitement to violence, for containing a “veiled threat” against Macron.

From Time

Players are, without much fanfare, introduced to the Hunter, a veiled young woman who is adept in archery.

From Washington Post

These groups are also removed if they use veiled language and symbols in an attempt to avoid being flagged.

From TechCrunch

The artworks themselves were often thinly veiled propaganda.

From The Daily Beast

It is about an hour into our interview, but it is not the first sign of frat-boy cockiness veiled in jokes.

From The Daily Beast

Leather bonnets that marked the early 19th century gave way to styled hair and lavishly veiled hats of the 20th century.

From The Daily Beast

The house version of chicken fried steak is, in fact, pork-fried steak, veiled in panko breadcrumbs under a mantle of gravy.

From The Daily Beast

Each accused their opponent in veiled language of voting fraud.

From The Daily Beast

But at the instant I caught a sight of my counterfeit presentment in a shop window, and veiled my haughty crest.

From Project Gutenberg

Ten minutes later, veiled and cloaked, she stepped out alone into the garden.

From Project Gutenberg

The society newspapers for the week alluded to the matter in veiled, but unmistakable terms.

From Project Gutenberg

A child outside the temple of art hears its music before he sees its veiled beauties.

From Project Gutenberg

As Isabel walked carefully down the slippery stair she veiled her eyes to hide the wonder in them.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cloaked
• concealed