What does mealy mean?
Mealy is an adjective with several related but distinct uses. Its most traditional meaning is pale or colourless, especially when applied to a person's complexion, giving the impression of weakness, illness, or a lack of vitality. In descriptions of food, it can mean that something contains meal or has a dry, coarse, granular texture, as in mealy bread. Figuratively, the word describes speech, writing, or an argument that is bland and lacking in substance. The related expression mealy-mouthed means unwilling to express an opinion directly, often because of excessive caution or politeness. Although the word can sound formal or old-fashioned today, it remains useful for describing both physical appearance and texture, while its figurative senses add a sharp contrast between outward appearance and intellectual or verbal substance.
Pale or lacking colour, especially in reference to a person's complexion.
"The exhausted traveller had a mealy complexion."
This sense is chiefly literary and somewhat dated.
Containing meal or having a coarse, granular texture.
"The cooked potatoes had become dry and mealy."
Common in descriptions of food, especially bread and potatoes.
Bland, insipid, or lacking in substance or force.
"His answer was so mealy that it conveyed no useful information."
Figurative and less common; often heard in the expression mealy-mouthed.
A word for a pale face can also describe food that feels soft and granular—and, figuratively, an argument that is bland and lacking substance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mealy come from?
Mealy was formed in English from meal with the suffix -y, originally in the sense of containing or resembling meal. Its use for a pale complexion developed through the idea of a face lacking colour and vitality. The related compound mealy-mouthed is a later figurative formation based on the notion of speech that is soft, bland, or insufficiently frank.
Related word forms
How mealy is actually used
The adjective is literary and somewhat old-fashioned in the sense of describing a pale complexion. In food contexts, it usually suggests a dry or granular texture containing meal. The figurative sense is less common and often appears in the expression mealy-mouthed, meaning excessively cautious or unwilling to speak frankly.
Easily confused with mealy
Meal is the food consisting of ground grain, whereas mealy is an adjective describing something pale, bland, or containing meal.