mealy-mouthed
Use Mealy-mouthed in a sentence
liˌmaʊθt, -ˌmaʊðd adjective
avoiding the use of direct and plain language, as from timidity, excessive delicacy, or hypocrisy; inclined to mince words; insincere, devious, or compromising.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To mealy-mouthed
Collins
World English Dictionary
| mealy-mouthed | |
| —adj | |
| hesitant or afraid to speak plainly; not outspoken | |
| [C16: from | |
| mealy-'mouthedness | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Mealy-mouthed
is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
mealy-mouthed
1570s, "afraid to say what one really thinks," probably from O.E. milisc "sweet," from P.Gmc. *meduz "honey" (see mead (1)), which suits the sense, but if the O.E. word did not survive long enough to be the source of this, perhaps the first element is from
meal (2) on notion of the "softness" of ground flour.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
We lefties get banged over the head--rightly so--for, at times, being mealy-mouthed and soft-headed.
She was mealy-mouthed, awkward, clearly second string.
Don't he mealy-mouthed as to who are the guilty parties, but out with it.
But all this came after days of mealy-mouthed denial and obfuscation.
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