lip service

American  

noun

1. insincere expression of friendship, admiration, support, etc.; service by words only.

   He paid only lip service to the dictator.

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lip service British  

noun

1. insincere support or respect expressed but not put into practice

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lip service Cultural  

1. Insincere agreement; to “pay lip service” is to consent in one's words while dissenting in one's heart: “The boss's support of affirmative action was merely paying lip service; he never committed himself to it in any substantial way.”

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lip service Idioms  

1. Verbal but insincere expression of agreement or support. It is often put as, as in They paid lip service to holding an election next year, but they had no intention of doing so. [Mid-1600s]

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Other Word Forms

• lip server noun

Etymology

Origin of lip service

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

If the music world is decamping from London again this week, then it needs to "give back to the community", she adds, and not just pay it "lip service".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Presidents historically have at least paid lip service to the idea that they are supposed to consult Congress before launching a military action.

From Salon • Mar. 16, 2026

They pay lavish lip service to difficult and demanding ideals without developing the capabilities required to defend them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 23, 2026

Preparing Americans for this change can’t be just lip service with no follow-through.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026

She still did lip service to the old ways, while herself nibbling away at forbidden fruit.

From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez