Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [mee-lee mouth d, moutht]
- /ˈmi li maʊðd, maʊθt/
- /ˈmiː.li maʊθ/
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [mee-lee mouth d, moutht]
- /ˈmi li maʊðd, maʊθt/
Definitions of mealy-mouthed word
- adjective mealy-mouthed avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; inclined to mince words; insincere, devious, or compromising. 1
- adjective mealy-mouthed avoiding plain language 1
- adjective mealy-mouthed If you say that someone is being mealy-mouthed, you are critical of them for being unwilling to speak in a simple or open way because they want to avoid talking directly about something unpleasant. 0
- adjective mealy-mouthed hesitant or afraid to speak plainly; not outspoken 0
- adjective mealy-mouthed not outspoken or blunt; not willing to state the facts in simple, direct words; euphemistic and insincere 0
Information block about the term
Origin of mealy-mouthed
First appearance:
before 1565 One of the 32% oldest English words
First recorded in 1565-75
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Mealy-mouthed
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
mealy-mouthed popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 34% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
According to our data about 59% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
Synonyms for mealy-mouthed
adj mealy-mouthed
- affected — If you describe someone's behaviour as affected, you disapprove of the fact that they behave in an unnatural way that is intended to impress other people.
- deceptive — If something is deceptive, it encourages you to believe something which is not true.
- devious — If you describe someone as devious you do not like them because you think they are dishonest and like to keep things secret, often in a complicated way.
- disingenuous — lacking in frankness, candor, or sincerity; falsely or hypocritically ingenuous; insincere: Her excuse was rather disingenuous.
- hypocritical — of the nature of hypocrisy, or pretense of having virtues, beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually possess: The parent who has a “do what I say and not what I do” attitude can appear hypocritical to a child.
See also
Matching words
- Words starting with m
- Words starting with me
- Words starting with mea
- Words starting with meal
- Words starting with mealy
- Words starting with mealym
- Words starting with mealymo
- Words starting with mealymou
- Words starting with mealymout
- Words starting with mealymouth
- Words starting with mealymouthe
- Words starting with mealymouthed