mealy

adjective

ˈmē-lē 

mealier; mealiest

1

: containing meal : farinaceous

2

: soft, dry, and friable

3

a

: covered with meal or with fine granules

b

: flecked with another color

c

: spotty, uneven

d

: pallid, blanched

a mealy complexion

4

: mealymouthed

Synonyms

• ashen
• ashy
• blanched
• cadaverous
• doughy
• livid
• lurid
• pale
• paled
• pallid
• pasty
• peaked
• wan

Examples of mealy in a Sentence

the mealy flesh of a pear

her mealy complexion might be OK if she were a mime, but she isn't

Recent Examples on the Web

Avoid overly sweet or mealy apples like Red Delicious, Gala, or Fuji. —Molly Bolton, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2024

Green brewing:Drinking to a river's health: Arizona brewers and farmers fight drought with beer 'From soil to soil' Outside of a storeroom at Sedona Beer Co., several barrels of a sticky, mealy grain sit in the hot sun. —Jack Armstrong, The Arizona Republic, 18 June 2024

Cooked fillings—like unagi and shrimp tempura—keep the best, risking less of a mealy fish fate. —Li Goldstein, Bon Appétit, 23 Mar. 2024

Cherry tomatoes are the only variety that tends to stand up to time in the fridge without turning mushy or mealy too quickly. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

mealy

adjective

ˈmē-lē 

mealier; mealiest

1

: containing meal

2

: being soft, dry, and crumbly

3

: covered with fine grains or with flecks (as of color)

4

: mealymouthed