Glib
/ɡlɪb/
adjectiveC1
Definition
Glib means speaking in a way that sounds easy and confident but may lack real thought or honesty. People who are glib often say things quickly and smoothly, but their words may not be deep or true. It can sometimes feel like they are trying to impress without meaning what they say.
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See It in Action
Speaking in a smooth but shallow or insincere way
- •His glib answers made me doubt if he really understood the problem.
- •The politician gave a glib speech that sounded good but had no real plans.
- •She was glib when explaining the situation, but I felt something was missing.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'glib' like 'talk' (A1 word), but with a smooth surface that hides emptiness or carelessness
- ✓Picture a person quickly talking, like a fast river flowing smoothly but shallow and not deep
- ✓It's the feeling when someone tries to sound smart or friendly but you feel they don’t really mean it
- ✓Sounds like 'glib' → imagine a slippery 'lip' that moves fast but doesn’t hold anything solid
- ✓Think of a salesperson who talks fast and nicely but just wants to sell, not help
- ✓NOT like 'honest' (truthful and deep), glib is more about smoothness without real honesty
- ✓NOT like 'silent' (no talk), glib is all about talking, but in a shallow or careless way
- ✓NOT like 'clear' (easy to understand), glib can be clear but also careless or shallow
Try Other Words
- •Slick: smooth and confident but often not sincere (Use when someone talks in a clever but untrustworthy way)
- •Superficial: shallow, not deep or serious (Use when meaning is only on the surface, not deep)
- •Fluent: able to speak easily and well (Use when focus is on skill, not honesty)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; root word 'glib' stands alone
- •Etymology: From Germanic origin, related to Old High German 'glibberig' meaning slippery
- •Historical development: Originally meant slippery or smooth in a physical sense, later used to describe speech that is smooth but insincere
- •Modern usage: Used mostly to describe speech or writing that is fluent but shallow or careless
Reflect & Connect
•Can glib speech ever be helpful, or is it always negative? When might it be useful?
•How can you tell the difference between someone who is glib and someone who is simply confident?
Fill in the blanks
1.His glib talk ___ many people because it sounded confident but lacked real answers.
2.When someone is glib, their words often feel ___ and not deeply thought out.
3.Unlike honest speakers, glib people may ___ their true feelings to sound better.
4.She gave a glib response ___ the difficult question, avoiding the real issue.
5.Politicians sometimes use glib language ___ to impress voters without real plans.
6.Glib speech is usually ___ and smooth, but it can make listeners feel unsure.
7.You can tell a speaker is glib if they talk fast and ___ without giving clear details.