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

Unless, of course, one apple is giant, glossy, improbably red, but also covered in pesticides, while the other is smaller, organic, perhaps a bit mealy in parts, but better for you in the ways that matter most. —Alli Forde, Travel + Leisure, 8 June 2026

This occurred one week before West and Amanda publicly announced their situationship on Instagram in a mealy-mouthed statement that sounded like it was written by ChatGPT. —Marlow Stern, Variety, 3 June 2026

Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is mealy and small pieces of pea-size butter remain. —The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026

Players and coaches have become maddeningly mealy-mouthed, striving to avoid upsetting agents, sponsors, owners, fans, thin-skinned politicians, and whoever else might object. —Charles Bethea, New Yorker, 26 Apr. 2026

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
• microvilli

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