mince words
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mince words
- /ˌmɪns ˈwɜːdz/ Australia, UK
- /ˌmɪns ˈwɜɹdz/ Canada, US
- /ˌməns ˈwøːdz/ New Zealand
- /ˌmɪns ˈwʌɹdz/ Scotland
- /ˌmɪns ˈwəːʳɖz/ India
Where it comes from
From mince (“to say or utter vaguely (not directly or frankly)”, transitive figurative verb) + words. First attested in the mid-1500s.
verb minces words · mincing words · minced words · mince one's words · mince matters
-
To restrain oneself when speaking by withholding some comments or using euphemisms in order to be polite, tactful, etc.
Near-synonym: pull punches
Similar: mince matters, pull punches
Translations
Every language
verb to restrain oneself when speaking by withholding some comments or using euphemisms in order to be polite, tactful, etc.
| Español | no tener pelos en la lengua |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 直言不諱 /直言不讳 zhíyánbùhuì |
| Português | não ter papas na língua |
| Français | ne pas mâcher ses mots |
| Deutsch | sich kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen |
| Italiano | pesare le parole, usare mezzi termini |
| Русский | говори́ть обиняка́ми govorítʹ obinjakámi, говори́ть без обиняко́в govorítʹ bez obinjakóv |
Talk about this word "mince words." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/mince%20words. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. mince words. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/mince%20words "mince words." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/mince%20words.Cite this
@misc{mince_words_2026,
title = {mince words},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/mince%20words},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
