glib

[glib]

adjective

glibber, glibbest 

1. readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely so.

   a glib talker; glib answers.

   Synonyms: smooth, facile, loquacious, talkative

2. easy or unconstrained, as actions or manners.

3. Archaic.,  agile; spry.

glib

/ ɡlɪb /

adjective

1. fluent and easy, often in an insincere or deceptive way

Other Word Forms

• glibly adverb
• glibness noun
• unglib adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glib¹

First recorded in 1585–95; compare obsolete glibbery “slippery” (cognate with Dutch glibberig )

Word History and Origins

Origin of glib¹

C16: probably from Middle Low German glibberich slippery

Synonym Study

See fluent.

Example Sentences

When his “political enemy,” the glib and popular Alcibiades, sways the assembly, Nicias replies that this means sending both a fleet and “large numbers of land forces.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

When these got, it’s simple, it’s very painful, so I’m not being glib.

Read more on Literature

Some on Wall Street view the wild swings of the past few days as proof that investors have grown too glib about trade risks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A lot of people see the president less as a frothing-at-the-mouth fanatic and more like a glib businessman, the guy they remember with some fondness from “The Apprentice.”

Read more on Salon

“Southern Man”? It’s probably a little glib to declare it a song about reparations, but it’s also not an incorrect observation.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• artful 
• articulate 
• eloquent 
• facile 
• loquacious 
• talkative