weasel words

wea·sel word

W w

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [wee-zuh l wurd]
- /ˈwi zəl wɜrd/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [wee-zuh l wurd]
- /ˈwi zəl wɜrd/

Definitions of weasel words words

noun weasel words a word used to temper the forthrightness of a statement; a word that makes one's views equivocal, misleading, or confusing. 1
noun plural weasel words intentionally evasive or misleading speech; equivocation 0
noun weasel words words or remarks that are deliberately ambiguous or misleading 0

See all 3 definitions of weasel words

Information block about the term

Origin of weasel words

First appearance:

before 1895

One of the 18% newest English words

An Americanism dating back to 1895-1900

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Weasel words

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Weasel words

weasel words popularity

This term is known only to a narrow circle of people with rare knowledge. Only 29% of English native speakers know the meaning of this word.

According to our data most of word are more popular. This word is almost not used. It has a much more popular synonym.

weasel words usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for weasel words

noun weasel words

equivocation — The use of ambiguous language to conceal the truth or to avoid committing oneself; prevarication.
flannel — a soft, slightly napped fabric of wool or wool and another fiber, used for trousers, jackets, shirts, etc.

All 2 Synonyms of weasel words