spiel

[ speel, shpeel ]

See synonyms for: spiel spieled spieling on Thesaurus.com

noun

a usually high-flown talk or speech, especially for the purpose of luring people to a movie, a sale, etc.; pitch.

verb (used without object)

to speak extravagantly.

Origin of spiel

First recorded in 1890–95; (for the noun) from German Spiel or Yiddish shpil “play, game”; (for the verb) from German spielen or Yiddish shpiln “to play, gamble”

Words Nearby spiel

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spiel in a sentence

Given his confident spiel, it is surprising that 13 years after it was founded, Ginkgo can’t name a single significant product that is manufactured and sold using its organisms.
The Download: Chinese robotaxi drivers, and AI gun detection | Rhiannon Williams | July 27, 2022 | MIT Technology Review
I’m not going to give you the whole spiel about how humans told stories around fire camps and painted the walls of caves.
How to get buy-in from the C-suite | Kevin Indig | October 13, 2021 | Search Engine Watch
Youngkin made the first comment in direct response to a spiel from McAuliffe touting his record, essentially echoing it as a moderator in an effort to keep the conversation going.
McAuliffe ad slices and dices Youngkin’s comments in a misleading way | Adriana Usero | July 2, 2021 | Washington Post
In tests, cordless vacuums give between 15 and 45 minutes of action, and that doesn’t always correlate with what it says on the box or in the marketing spiel.
Best cordless vacuum: Suck up debris without getting yourself tangled | Charlotte Marcus | January 19, 2021 | Popular-Science
He calls his motivational spiel about conserving native plants “Tales from the Crypt,” and he chats colorfully about plants and the people who love them.
How passion, luck and sweat saved some of North America’s rarest plants | Susan Milius | November 5, 2020 | Science News

CEO Andrea Lee offers Lloyd Grove a sales spiel, concentration camps not included.
North Korea Vacations? Yes, They’re Possible, Though ‘Very Structured’ | Lloyd Grove | June 13, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Rather than giving him her usual spiel and urging him to go public, she hides him—in the Rensselaer house with Ben.
Judge Me Not: Jonathan Dee’s ‘A Thousand Pardons’ Reviewed | Benjamin Lytal | March 13, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
When the crew finally reaches the tribe, they give them their spiel.
Meet the Germans Having Sex to Save the World | Marlow Stern | March 13, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
"Aw, boss, that was part of the spiel," he confessed frankly.
From Place to Place | Irvin S. Cobb
When Artie goes to a wedding, he records that "there was a long spiel by the high guy in the pulpit."
America To-day, Observations and Reflections | William Archer
You can hand em the spiel you gave me, and see how much they believe of it.
The Gray Phantom's Return | Herman Landon
He'll give you a spiel about his research and ask to measure your brain waves.
Sentiment, Inc. | Poul William Anderson
The Germans call it Krug-spiel—which means war-game, and that term has been adopted all over the world.
The Boy Scout Automobilists | Robert Maitland

British Dictionary definitions for spiel

spiel

/ (ʃpiːl) /

noun

a glib plausible style of talk, associated esp with salesmen

verb

(intr) to deliver a prepared spiel
(tr usually foll by off) to recite (a prepared oration)

Origin of spiel

C19: from German Spiel play

Derived forms of spiel

spieler, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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