glib
Americanadjective
-
readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely so.
a glib talker; glib answers.
- Synonyms:
- smooth, facile, loquacious, talkative
-
easy or unconstrained, as actions or manners.
-
Archaic. agile; spry.
adjective
Synonym Usage
See fluent.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of glib
First recorded in 1585–95; compare obsolete glibbery “slippery” (cognate with Dutch glibberig )
Explanation
A hiring manager might think you're being glib, or slick and insincere, if you say you've led a successful multinational corporation when you were actually in charge of flipping burgers for a fast-food restaurant chain. The word glib might be used to describe the slick car salesman who uses his polished sales pitch to talk his customers into buying lemons. In fact, the word comes from old German and Dutch words for "slippery," another word that could be used to describe the very same salesman. In addition to meaning "smooth" and "persuasive," glib can be applied to the kind of thoughtless comment that could get you into big trouble.
Vocabulary lists containing glib
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And you don’t want to be frivolous about it, you don’t want to be glib about it.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
But “Miss You, Love You”—the kind of glib phone text that figures so prominently here—isn’t quite that kind of production.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
"It's very easy to put out glib soundbites - end leasehold - we've got a serious policy programme here," he added.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
So for his children not to show up in any way, and to be glib about his experience, is, well, a choice.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 22, 2026
When these got, it’s simple, it’s very painful, so I’m not being glib.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
