veiled

adjective

ˈvāld 

1

a

: having or wearing a veil or a concealing cover

a veiled hat

b

: characterized by a softening tonal distortion

2

: obscured as if by a veil : disguised

veiled threats

Examples of veiled in a Sentence

She looked at him with barely veiled contempt.

The report makes veiled references to his criminal activities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Played exquisitely by Lowden and Capaldi in his younger and older incarnations, Sassoon functions as a veiled surrogate for Davies himself, a figure of rage, torment, and immense wit whose life and art come to represent so much about the social realities of twentieth-century British gay life. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2025

As of Sunday, Fan’s Weibo account remains active (a deactivation would be one of the first signs a performer has fallen afoul of China’s censorship apparatus) – though some posts railing against the veiled official warning have been removed. —Chris Lau, CNN Money, 27 July 2025

It’s being said that excessive enforcement of the DMA by the EU is a veiled swipe at President Trump’s tariffs from the EU. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Critics of the settlement lambasted it as a veiled bribe to appease Trump, amid rising alarm over editorial independence overall. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 25 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for veiled

• assailed
• availed
• bewailed
• blackmailed
• curtailed
• derailed
• detailed
• dovetailed
• emailed
• entailed
• exhaled
• impaled