What does unrevealing mean?
Unrevealing is an adjective meaning that something does not disclose information or allow something to be seen or known. It is commonly applied to expressions, answers, statements, attitudes, and behavior: an unrevealing expression may show no emotion, while an unrevealing answer may give little useful information. The word can be neutral, simply indicating that information is not being provided, or it can carry a more critical implication of evasiveness, secrecy, or deliberate concealment. It may also describe a scene, landscape, or surface that remains hidden from view. Unrevealing is especially useful when the absence of disclosure is itself significant, allowing a writer to emphasize what is being withheld rather than what is plainly stated. Although more characteristic of formal and literary English, it is understood in British and American usage.
adjectiveNot revealing or disclosing information; uninformative or non-disclosing. It can also mean not making something visible or publicly known.
- Not revealing or disclosing information; giving little indication of a person, event, or truth.
- Not making something visible or publicly known; keeping it concealed.
"His unrevealing expression gave no hint that he knew the answer."
"The witness gave a deliberately unrevealing account of the evening."
"The fog continued to be unrevealing, hiding the road beyond the next bend."
What an unrevealing answer withholds can be as important as what a revealing one tells.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unrevealing come from?
Unrevealing was formed in English by combining the prefix un-, meaning “not,” with the verb reveal. Reveal comes through Old French from Latin revelare, built from re- and velum, meaning “veil.” The related English words revelation and revelatory continue the same Latin root, with the same underlying idea of making something known that had been concealed.
Related word forms
How unrevealing is actually used
The word is most often used of expressions, answers, accounts, gestures, and behavior. It can be neutral, describing a lack of disclosure, but it may also suggest evasiveness, reserve, or deliberate concealment. It is more typical of formal or literary description than of casual speech.
Easily confused with unrevealing
Unrevealing means withholding information or failing to disclose something, whereas unraveling means untangling a problem or mystery.