Meaning & use
veiled
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a noun
Expressed in an indirect way so that the real meaning is hidden but still fairly easy to guess.
Grammar: Nearly always placed before a noun: a veiled threat, not the threat was veiled.
Patterns
- a veiled threat
- a veiled reference to something
He made a veiled threat about what might happen if she told anyone.
The speech contained a veiled criticism of the manager.
Her veiled hints told us she wanted to leave early.
adjectivecomparable
Covered or wearing a veil, or partly hidden as if behind one.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a veiled woman, the hills were veiled in mist.
Patterns
- veiled in something
The bride walked down the aisle veiled in white lace.
The mountain was veiled in thin cloud.
Veiled women stood at the market stalls.
Common combinations
- veiled threat
- The email ended with a veiled threat.
- veiled criticism
- Her praise carried a hint of veiled criticism.
- thinly veiled
- His excuse was a thinly veiled attempt to avoid work.
- veiled reference
- The song includes a veiled reference to his old band.
- veiled insult
- She answered the veiled insult with a smile.
Synonyms and how they differ
- indirect
- Indirect is neutral and general, while veiled suggests something negative is being hidden on purpose.
- disguised
- Disguised can describe real concealment of identity, whereas veiled implies the hidden meaning can still be sensed.
- implied
- Implied means suggested without being said, but it lacks the sense of threat or criticism that veiled usually carries.
- covert
- Covert means done in secret and sounds more serious, such as covert operations.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: veiled or vailed?
veiled vs vailed
This spelling is not standard; the adjective is always veiled, with the e before the i.
Practice
The note said he 'would hate to see her lose her job.' This is best described as a ____ threat.
Choose one answer.
A veiled threat is hidden behind polite words. A clear threat would be stated openly, and loud or public describe how it was delivered, not its form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “veiled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.