Glib

Literarylanguageselfpsychology

Etymology

Related to older Germanic words for "slippery," such as Low German glibberig, "slick, slimy"; earlier English even used "glib" to mean literally smooth or slippery. The metaphor is the whole meaning: glib speech slides out too easily and too smoothly to be trusted. Fluency without depth or sincerity is the enduring sense.

  1. adjective · /GLIB/

    Fluent and persuasive in a smooth but shallow, insincere way.

    What it names

    The too-easy eloquence of someone who always has a slick answer ready and never seems to have thought hard about it.

    Example

    He gave a glib excuse about traffic that neither of them believed for a second.

    Related idea

    Eloquent is fluent speech that carries real substance; glib is fluency that has traded substance for smoothness.

See also

EloquentSophistrySpielSpuriousUnctuous