weasel-worded

9.6

Unclear words that avoid saying something directly

adjective
/ˈwiːzəlˌwɜrdɪd/

Literature

: evasivo

The politician's speech was full of weasel-worded statements, leaving the audience confused about his actual stance on the issue.

Examples

The only way I received information on the substation issue was by driving to City Hall to find out what was happening since the official communications I was receiving were inconsistent and weasel-worded.

Blog text (29)
The company's report included weasel-worded explanations that made it difficult to understand the true financial situation.
Her response was weasel-worded, avoiding a clear answer to the tough questions posed by the journalists.

Synonyms

weaselly

vsweasel-worded

Informal

4 8.4

A person who acts sneaky and dishonest to avoid clear answers

is about using vague or ambiguous language to avoid making a clear statement

hedged

vsweasel-worded

1 7.2

A carefully worded statement that avoids a clear commitment

is more about deliberate vagueness or ambiguity to avoid direct statement

obliquus

vsweasel-worded

9.2

Saying something in a roundabout way to avoid being direct

is deliberately vague or ambiguous to avoid making a direct clear statement

Antonyms

explicit

142 4.8

Clear and detailed so there is no confusion

unambiguous

15 5.9

Clear and having only one meaning

How Vague

obfuscatory

Formal

1 9.3

weasel-worded

Literature

9.6

evasive

25 7.3

ambiguous

68 6.3

unclear

207 3.9

Surface Forms

weasel-worded positive

Morphology

weasel-worded = weasel-word (semi-transparent) = weasel + word + ed

Formally built by adding '-ed' to the compound 'weasel-word', but the compound itself is metaphorical, so the adjective's meaning is somewhat idiomatic rather than strictly predictable from the components.

Etymology

The word weasel-worded comes from the small animal weasel, which people think of as sly and good at slipping away. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine someone using vague words to 'slip away' from a question or 'avoid' making a clear statement, so weasel-worded means language that hides a real meaning.