double-tongued
Says contradictory things
Double-tongued means speaking with duplicity—saying one thing to one person and something contradictory to another, or making promises you don't intend to keep.
The image is of a tongue split like a snake's, capable of producing two different messages: a double-tongued politician who told each audience what they wanted to hear.
The word is somewhat literary and old-fashioned.
Deliberately deceptive in nature
- two-facedInsincere and deceptive
- lyingStating known falsehoods
- falseNot matching reality
- treacherousDisloyal and dangerous
perfidious · mendacious · untruthful · dishonest · hypocritical · backstabbing · disloyal · faithless
Feigning ignorance or innocence
- phonyFraudulent person or thing
- feignedFalsely displayed or simulated
- hollowEmpty within
- fakeNot the real thing
pretentious · affected · mealy-mouthed · glib · smooth-talking · sanctimonious · unctuous · oily
Causing false beliefs
- evasiveAvoiding direct response
- equivocatingSpeaking with deliberate ambiguity
- prevaricatingAvoiding direct honesty
- dissemblingConcealing true motives
beguiling · guileful · crafty · cunning · sly · wily · artful · scheming
Lacking steady uniformity
- flip-floppingRepeatedly reversing one's stance
- changeableCapable of alteration
- fickleErratically disloyal in affection
- unreliableNot consistently performing
duplicitous
Deliberately deceptive in nature
treacherous · perfidious · mendacious · untruthful · dishonest · hypocritical · backstabbing · disloyal · faithless · traitorous
disingenuous
Feigning ignorance or innocence
fake · pretentious · affected · mealy-mouthed · glib · smooth-talking · sanctimonious · unctuous · oily · smarmy
misleading
Causing false beliefs
- evasiveAvoiding direct response
- equivocatingSpeaking with deliberate ambiguity
- prevaricatingAvoiding direct honesty
dissembling · beguiling · guileful · crafty · cunning · sly · wily · artful · scheming · conniving
inconsistent
Lacking steady uniformity
- flip-floppingRepeatedly reversing one's stance
- changeableCapable of alteration
- fickleErratically disloyal in affection
double-tonguedhonest
Free from deception
sincere · truthful · forthright · candid · frank
double-tonguedhonorable
Having high moral standards
trustworthy · upright · principled · true · faithful
double-tonguedplain-spoken
Speaking without ornament
consistent · single-minded · unequivocal · direct · blunt
double, tongue, doubled, doubling, tongues, doubles, redouble, tongued, redoubling