Mealy-mouthness

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mealy-mouthed \Meal"y-mouthed`\, a.
     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} or
     {blunt}. "Mealy-mouthed philanthropies." --Tennyson.
     [1913 Webster]


  
           She was a fool to be mealy-mouthed where nature speaks
           so plain.                                --L'Estrange.
     [1913 Webster] -- {Meal"y-mouth`ness}, n.
     [1913 Webster]