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 of mealy

• pallid
• pale

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

Food Storage No-Nos Storing Tomatoes In the Fridge While there are many ways to store tomatoes that people prefer for different reasons, storing tomatoes in the fridge can lead to a mealy texture and taste that certainly does not make the most of your tomatoes. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026

Finally, like mealy bugs, the honeydew secreted by aphids can encourage the growth of sooty mold and fungus. —Jon Vanzile, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026

Poussin, smeared with garlic, sumac and red pepper paste, was unappealingly mealy. —Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2026

Watch vigilantly for scale and mealy bugs on plant leaves. —Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1541, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for mealy

• freely
• keeley
• seely
• steely
• vilely
• ideally
• lapilli
• swahili
• intraperitoneally
• kiswahili

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