Definition of glib
glibber
;glibbest
1a : marked by ease and informality : nonchalantb : showing little forethought or preparation : offhand glib answersc : lacking depth and substance : superficial glib solutions to knotty problems
3 : marked by ease and fluency in speaking or writing often to the point of being insincere or deceitful a glib politician
glibly
adverbglibness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of glib in a Sentence
Or they could have saddled us with “The Stranger,” which had the mitigating charm of being glib and pretentious and would thus have kept the kids who were obviously going to end up at Bard happy. —Joe Queenan, New York Times Book Review3 June 2007
The problem was that the candidate anticipated all the questions, knew all the answers and tended to pop out the reply the moment the question was asked; it made him seem like a smart aleck, too glib. —William Safire, New York Times Magazine, 16 June 1991
Some of the glibbest persons in the nation are oddly tongue-tied when the Bible is brought up. —Garry Wills, Under God, 1990
I expected a glib ladies' man, which he's not. He is an introspective man with deep emotions. —Loni Anderson, quoted in People Weekly, 6 Nov. 1989
Politicians need to do more than provide glib answers to difficult questions.
the actor's glib portrayal of a drug addict
Recent Examples of glib from the Web
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But if that's the case, the 13-word statement was uncharacteristically glib for an official communication taking responsibility for one of the worst computer attacks in recent memory.
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Although the concept of themed interiors comes off as somewhat glib, the execution is impressively lavish.
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The edits are more dramatic than the glib story’s outcome.
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But director Nick Hamm and screenwriter Colin Bateman are glib puppet masters.
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For a few minutes, Baywatch drops its glib tone and invests in actual character development.
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Buried in the 2006 Newsweek article is a glib definition of the ‘id’ that today reads like a portent.
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The few that stand out — Mr. Hall’s fireplug, Topher Grace’s glib fixer — make the labored introductions superfluous.
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Schwartz’s lyrics, while snappy, can come off as glib.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'glib.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of glib
probably modification of Low German glibberig slippery
GLIB Defined for English Language Learners
glib
playDefinition of glib for English Language Learners
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: said or done too easily or carelessly : showing little preparation or thought
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: speaking in a smooth, easy way that is not sincere
GLIB Defined for Kids
glib
playDefinition of glib for Students
glibber
;glibbest
: speaking or spoken carelessly and often insincerely a glib answer
glibly
adverbLearn More about glib
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See words that rhyme with glib Spanish Central: Translation of glib Nglish: Translation of glib for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of glib for Arabic speakers
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