poorly veiled

USAGE SUMMARY

"poorly veiled" is a correct phrase and can be used in written English.
It is typically used when there is an attempt to conceal something that is not particularly well hidden. For example, "His disdain for his colleague was poorly veiled in his sarcastic comments."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

While it's hard to say if Andreessen's Twitter behavior had any specific agenda in mind, statements like this by Facebook and members of its board will not help Facebook's damaged public perception in India, where many see the Free Basics program as a poorly veiled attempt to acquire Indian Internet users as a captive audience for advertisements.

TechCrunch

He also suggests in a poorly veiled manner that he will use the hammer to tunnel out of the prison.

Wikipedia

Just mention the word and watch people's eyes glaze over, hear them stammer out apologetic platitudes and poorly veiled excuses.

Huffington Post

Peeling back the team's specious claims, teaching young people about gun safety for one night at a baseball game is a poorly veiled educational attempt.

Huffington Post

France's "favorite fascist" Alexandre Gabriac, a rising star in the right-wing National Front party, had promised to come along, sending a very poorly veiled threat Femen's way in the above tweet, which translates to: "If they play with the flames of Hell too much, their house could set on fire".

Vice

Molly Gamble of Marquette Tribune gave "Christmas Tree" a negative review, criticising the song's "poorly veiled metaphor" for sex and calling the song "shameless".

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

*The rapid demise of the poorly-designed and ineffective parent trigger effort in California, a not very veiled campaign by charters to parachute into low-income communities and take over neighborhood public schools.

Huffington Post

The Dominican Government improperly characterizes its recent denationalization policy as an immigration matter when it is, in truth, a matter of discrimination, a poorly-veiled program to cleanse the country of many of its citizens of Haitian descent.

Huffington Post

Women are veiled.

The New York Times

Others wore veiled masks.

The New York Times

All the women were veiled.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "poorly veiled", ensure that the context clearly indicates both an attempt at concealment and its lack of success. Avoid using it when the concealment is unintentional or nonexistent.

Common error

Avoid using "poorly veiled" to describe something that is simply obvious, rather than something someone actively tried to hide. The phrase implies an attempt at deception, however unsuccessful.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "poorly veiled" functions as an adjective phrase, modifying a noun to describe the quality of something that is covered or concealed. As Ludwig AI explains, it indicates an unsuccessful attempt at hiding something. The examples illustrate its use in describing intentions, threats, or metaphors that are not effectively concealed.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Wiki

29%

Science

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "poorly veiled" is a phrase used to describe something that is inadequately concealed or disguised. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and conveys an attempt at concealment that is not particularly successful. The phrase most commonly appears in news and media contexts, and is deemed to be of neutral register. To enhance your writing, remember that "poorly veiled" implies an attempted deception and should not be used simply to describe something that is obviously apparent. Alternatives like "badly disguised" or "thinly disguised" can offer similar meanings, depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

badly disguised

Replaces 'veiled' with 'disguised', focusing on the lack of successful disguise.

thinly disguised

Similar to 'poorly veiled' but uses 'thinly' to emphasize the lack of depth in the disguise.

poorly concealed

Substitutes 'veiled' with 'concealed', highlighting the ineffectiveness of the concealment.

barely concealed

Uses 'barely' instead of 'poorly', stressing the minimal effort or success in concealing something.

scarcely concealed

Emphasizes the minimal level of concealment, similar to 'barely concealed'.

transparent attempt

Focuses on the obviousness of the attempt, rather than the quality of the veiling.

weakly masked

Replaces 'veiled' with 'masked', indicating a feeble attempt to hide something.

obvious pretense

Shifts the focus to the pretense being obvious, with 'pretense' implying a false display.

crudely disguised

Highlights the lack of sophistication in the attempt to disguise.

flimsy cover

Uses a metaphor to describe the inadequate concealment, implying it is easily seen through.

FAQs

How can I use "poorly veiled" in a sentence?

You can use "poorly veiled" to describe an attempt to conceal something that is not very successful. For instance, "His anger was "poorly veiled" behind a forced smile."

What are some alternatives to the phrase "poorly veiled"?

Alternatives to "poorly veiled" include "badly disguised", "thinly disguised", or "poorly concealed". The best choice depends on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "poorly veiled" or "poorly disguised"?

Both "poorly veiled" and "poorly disguised" are correct, but "poorly veiled" often suggests a more subtle or indirect attempt at concealment, while "poorly disguised" can refer to a broader range of attempts to hide something.

What does it mean when something is described as "poorly veiled"?

When something is described as "poorly veiled", it means that there was an attempt to conceal it, but the attempt was not very effective, and the underlying thing is still quite obvious.