mealy-mouthed
3
8.9
- adjective
- /ˈmiːliˌmaʊθd/
- Offensive
:
evasivo
- I'm not fooled by this load of mealy-mouthed political double-speak signifying nothing.
The statements that have come out of the presidents of Harvard, president of Yale, administrators at Columbia have been mealy mouthed morally backward.
- The statements that have come out of the presidents of Harvard, president of Yale, administrators at Columbia have been mealy mouthed morally backward.
Examples
-
The mealy-mouthed politician would tap dance all over the place.
Blog text (25) -
That's a pretty mealy-mouthed response.
-
Up until then, she was a mealy-mouthed person.
Fiction book (1994) -
But a politician being mealy-mouthed to protect a system of revenue?
Blog text (19) -
Press coverage has been typically boring and mealy-mouthed.
Blog text (14) -
Your statement is mealy-mouthed.
Blog text (3) -
Don't be so mealy-mouthed!
-
This was NOT a misstep, as so many mealy-mouthed conservatives, like Bill Kristol, had opined.
Blog text (25) -
A number of us in CT tried very hard to replace this mealy-mouthed weasel, but too many folks got fooled by his lies or just stayed home that election.
Blog text (4) -
Her mealy-mouthed comments during the debate left the audience confused about her true stance.
Synonyms
25
7.3
Not giving a direct answer to hide the truth or avoid commitment
18
5.7
Not willing to speak or give information
4
6.3
Not willing to talk or give information
1
9.9
Not willing to say what you think clearly to avoid upsetting others
1
7.5
Not willing to talk or share information
Does not give clear answers and avoids commitment
Avoiding clear answers and responsibility
Unwilling to talk or answer questions
Not talking much and often listening to others
Antonyms
How Direct
302
3.5
3
4.3
- Formal
11
7.9
- Offensive
3
8.9
25
7.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word mealy-mouthed comes from mealy (from meal, 'flour' or 'ground grain') and mouth, giving the image of speech that is soft or bland rather than clear. So a mealy-mouthed person avoids saying things directly and can seem shy or not sincere.