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.
[disapproval]
He repeated that he did not intend to be mealy-mouthed with the country's leaders.
Synonyms: hesitant, afraid, doubtful, indirect More Synonyms of mealy-mouthed
mealy-mouthed in British English
adjective
hesitant or afraid to speak plainly; not outspoken
Derived forms
mealy-mouthedness (ˌmealy-ˈmouthedness)
noun
Word origin
C16: from mealy (in the sense: soft, soft-spoken)
mealy-mouthed in American English
(ˈmiliˈmaʊðd; ˈmiliˈmaʊθt)
adjective
not outspoken or blunt; not willing to state the facts in simple, direct words; euphemistic and insincere