Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Unwilling to state facts or opinions simply and directly.
from The Century Dictionary.
- Speaking cautiously or warily; not saying plainly what is meant; using too much caution or reserve in speech, as from timidity or hypocrisy; hence, soft-spoken; given to the use of soft or honeyed words; hypocritical.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- adjective Using soft words; not straightforward; plausible; affectedly or timidly delicate of speech; speaking deviously; unwilling to tell the truth in plain language. Opposite of
frank orblunt .
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective prone to speaking evasively, indirectly, or duplicitously; not
forthright
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adjective hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly as from e.g. timidity or hypocrisy
- adjective hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly as from e.g. timidity or hypocrisy
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The tone of its letter isn't quite as mealy-mouthed and abashed as I'd hoped.
Alfred Gingold: 'Chase Home Weasel' Backs off Alfred Gingold 2010
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The tone of its letter isn't quite as mealy-mouthed and abashed as I'd hoped.
Alfred Gingold: 'Chase Home Weasel' Backs off Alfred Gingold 2010
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The Rules of Professional Conduct (7.2, 7.4; varies somewhat by state, and New York's recent adoption is even less clear!) essentially prohibit using the word "specialist," absent some mealy-mouthed certification ... unless, that is, one is a member of the Patent Bar (which has its own bar exam) or certain aspects of bankruptcy.
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The tone of its letter isn't quite as mealy-mouthed and abashed as I'd hoped.
Alfred Gingold: 'Chase Home Weasel' Backs off Alfred Gingold 2010
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The tone of its letter isn't quite as mealy-mouthed and abashed as I'd hoped.
Alfred Gingold: 'Chase Home Weasel' Backs off Alfred Gingold 2010
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But when Economics Professor Romer says to his students: "Appropriate government subsidies could encourage a socially optimal level of R&D," this is both mealy-mouthed and misleading.
California Energy Tax Proposal, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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The roller-coaster in particular -- indoors and kind mealy-mouthed as it was -- made me forget that I'm supposed to be a cynical recovering alcoholic.
Paul Carr: The Strip Diary, Day Three: Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder Paul Carr 2011
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Release a mealy-mouthed apology filled with double-entendres which make it clear that the apology is grudging and insincere.
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The roller-coaster in particular -- indoors and kind mealy-mouthed as it was -- made me forget that I'm supposed to be a cynical recovering alcoholic.
Paul Carr: The Strip Diary, Day Three: Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder Paul Carr 2011
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The tone of its letter isn't quite as mealy-mouthed and abashed as I'd hoped.
Alfred Gingold: 'Chase Home Weasel' Backs off Alfred Gingold 2010
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