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

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.”

From Salon

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

From Salon

He was 27, an aspiring cop with a Hollywood apartment and a glib patter that reminded people of a used-car salesman.

From Los Angeles Times

That sounds a bit glib, comparing my love of shark films to the very real and immediate threats of shark endangerment.

From Salon

And while the notion that Lennon and Ono came to understand America through its television programming is provocative, too frequently the collage of grim news and glib ads leans toward the tritely ironic.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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