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

Unsurprisingly, these comments raised the ire of conservatives, especially in the U.S., where they were seen not only as an attack on capitalism but a veiled criticism of Washington. —Omar G. Encarnación, Time, 22 Apr. 2025

After entering office, Trump revoked James’s security clearance in a veiled retaliation for the criminal case against him. —Jenny Goldsberry, The Washington Examiner, 17 Apr. 2025

In a social media post on March 20, a day before the first deadline that his office set for congestion pricing to end, Mr. Duffy issued what many observers considered a veiled threat. —Stefanos Chen, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025

Could this be an instance of veiled political commentary? —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Apr. 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