Mealy-mouthed definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

ME'ALY-MOUTHED, a. Literally,having a soft mouth; hence,unwilling to tell the truth in plain language; inclined to speak of any thing in softer terms than the truth will warrant.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly as from e.g. timidity or hypocrisy; "a mealymouthed politician" [syn: mealymouthed, mealy-mouthed]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Mealy-mouthed Meal"y-mouthed`, a. Using soft words; plausible; affectedly or timidly delicate of speech; unwilling to tell the truth in plain language. ``Mealy-mouthed philanthropies.'' --Tennyson. She was a fool to be mealy-mouthed where nature speaks so plain. --L'Estrange. -- Meal"y-mouth`ness, n.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

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. He repeated that he did not intend to be mealy-mouthed with the country's leaders. ADJ [disapproval]

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

Over-modest or backward in speech.

Moby Thesaurus

ambiguous, artful, circumlocutory, deceitful, equivocal, equivocating, euphemistic, hesitant, hypocritical, indirect, mincing, oily, periphrastic, reluctant, reticent, roundabout, slick, unctuous, vague