mealy-mouthed

or meal·y·mouthed

[ mee-lee-moutht, -mouthd ]

adjective

1. avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; inclined to mince words; insincere, devious, or compromising:

   Our local government is filled with mealy-mouthed politicians and self-serving bureaucrats.

mealy-mouthed

adjective

1. hesitant or afraid to speak plainly; not outspoken

Derived Forms

• ˌmealy-ˈmouthedness, noun

Other Words From

• meal·y-mouth·ed·ly [mee, -lee-mou-thid-lee, -, th, id-, -moutht-, -mou, th, d-], adverb
• mealy-mouthed·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of mealy-mouthed¹

First recorded in 1565–75; mealy ( def ) + mouthed ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of mealy-mouthed¹

C16: from mealy (in the sense: soft, soft-spoken)

Example Sentences

The Trump campaign issued a mealy-mouthed comment saying the "joke does not reflect the views of President Trump," but it was quickly verified that the joke had been loaded into the teleprompter.

From Salon

“As Republican leaders, we have a clear message for mealy-mouthed, spineless leaders: Congress will not tolerate your dereliction of duty to your Jewish students,” said the committee chair, North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx.

From Seattle Times

Mr DeSantis, 45, began proceedings by calling his opponent "another mealy-mouthed politician that tells you what she thinks you want to hear".

From BBC

On one side, some students at a handful of elite universities have made harsh anti-Israel statements, some crossing the line into outright antisemitism, and some university presidents have been diffident and mealy-mouthed in their responses.

From Seattle Times

Durbin was even forced into a mealy-mouthed statement about how it "falls short."

From Salon