mealltach

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish melltach (“deceiving, deceitful”). By surface analysis, meallta +‎ -ach.

Adjective

mealltach (genitive singular masculine mealltaigh, genitive singular feminine mealltaí, plural mealltacha, comparative mealltaí)

1. beguiling, enticing, coaxing
2. deceptive, deceitful; disappointing
3. alluring, appealing, appetizing (of prospect), arresting, inviting, irresistible (extremely desirable), taking, winning
4. aspirational (of brand, lifestyle, etc)
5. attractive (interesting, enticing)
6. charismatic (of person)
7. charming (attractive but unreliable), engaging, enticing, entrancing
8. convincing (persuasive)
9. disarming
10. flirtatious
11. foxy (attractive)
12. horny, luscious, lush, pouting, provocative, sexy (sexually attractive)
13. illusive, illusory
14. magnetic (very attractive)

    Synonym: tarraingteach

15. seductive (sexually; attractive)
16. sensual (person)

    Synonyms: gnéasach, téisiúil

17. sensuous (of sexual pleasure)
18. siren
19. smoky (voice)

    Synonym: gnéasúil

20. smooth-tongued

    Synonyms: milis, plámásach, síodúil

21. smouldering (person, eyes, etc)

    Synonyms: meallacach, téisiúil

22. (Internet, of a website) sticky
23. sultry (sensual)
24. tantalizing (enticing; appetizing)
25. teasing (of hint, glimpse)

    Synonym: meallacach

26. tempting

    Synonym: tarraingteach

Declension

Declension of mealltach

	Singular		Plural (m/f)
Positive	Masculine	Feminine	(strong noun)	(weak noun)
Nominative	mealltach	mhealltach	mealltacha; mhealltacha²
Vocative	mhealltaigh		mealltacha
Genitive		mealltaí	mealltacha	mealltach
Dative	mealltach; mhealltach¹	mhealltach; mhealltaigh (archaic)	mealltacha; mhealltacha²
Comparative	níos mealltaí
Superlative	is mealltaí

¹ When the preceding noun is lenited and governed by the definite article.
² When the preceding noun ends in a slender consonant.

Adverb

mealltach

1. temptingly

   Synonyms: meallacach, tarraingteach

2. winsome

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “mealltach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “melltach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959) “mealltach”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “mealltach”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013-2024

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish melltach (“deceiving, deceitful”). By surface analysis, meallta +‎ -ach.

Adjective

mealltach (genitive singular masculine mealltaich, comparative mealltaiche)

1. false, deceitful, spurious, sham

   Synonym: meallta

2. deceptive, delusive, delusory
3. alluring

Derived terms

• sgiath mhealltach

Related terms

• meall

Mutation

Scottish Gaelic mutation
Radical	Lenition
mealltach	mhealltach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “melltach”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language