mealymouthed
1
9.9
- adjective
- /ˈmiliˌmaʊθd/
- Offensive
:
evasivo
- He avoided directly answering the question, giving a mealymouthed response instead.
Examples
-
She would never herself have used "simply" in casual conversation, and the word "memories" in that context had a certain mealymouthed tone that was unlike her.
Fiction book (1995) -
I'll grab that gut-sprung cracker by the seat of his pants and march him down the street and horsewhip him, growled Papa, right in front of this whole mealymouthed town!
Fiction book (1990) -
During the meeting, his mealymouthed comments made it clear he was afraid to offend anyone.
-
Her mealymouthed approach to discussing her opinions left everyone confused about her true feelings.
Synonyms
73
3.2
Slow to act or speak because you feel unsure
25
7.3
Not giving a direct answer to hide the truth or avoid commitment
24
5.4
Acting shy to seem playful or avoid answering directly
18
5.7
Not willing to speak or give information
17
7.9
Not willing to talk about thoughts or feelings easily
4
6.3
Not willing to talk or give information
1
7.5
Not willing to talk or share information
Does not give clear answers and avoids commitment
Avoiding clear answers and responsibility
Careful about showing feelings or strong opinions to avoid saying too much
Unwilling to talk or answer questions
A person who does not say opinions or feelings openly
Antonyms
How Direct
302
3.5
3
4.3
- Formal
11
7.9
- Offensive
1
9.9
25
7.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
mealymouthed = mealy + mouthed (semi-transparent) = mealy + mouth + ed
The compound structure mealy + mouthed is clear, but the figurative sense of 'mealy' (insincere/indirect) is somewhat rare and not obvious from its literal sense.
Etymology
The word mealymouthed comes from mealy and meal, which mean 'ground grain' or 'flour', and a helpful image is someone speaking with flour in their mouth so their words sound soft and unclear. That's why mealymouthed describes someone who avoids saying things plainly, often to avoid offense.