glib

adjective \ ˈglib \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of glib

glibber; glibbest

1 a : marked by ease and informality : nonchalant

b : showing little forethought or preparation : offhand

glib answers

c : lacking depth and substance : superficial

glib solutions to knotty problems

2 archaic : smooth, slippery

3 : marked by ease and fluency in speaking or writing often to the point of being insincere or deceitful

a glib politician

—

glibly

adverb

—

glibness

noun

See glib defined for English-language learners

See glib defined for kids

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 Review, 3 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

Author of The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, Suetonius was antiquity's Michael Wolff: a gossipy and glib chronicler of fear and loathing in imperial Rome.

— chicagotribune.com, "Mattis is an ancient Roman action hero," 29 Mar. 2018
The emphasis clearly is on fun, with a lighter, more glib tone being the order of the day.

— chris ball, cleveland.com, "Greta Gerwig's 'Lady Bird,' now on DVD and Blu-ray (review)," 16 Mar. 2018
Johnson’s comments, criticized as glib and ahistorical, angered both sides of the Irish border.

— william booth, Washington Post, "Northern Ireland has become an unexpected hurdle for Brexit," 28 Feb. 2018
This type of networking is not based on glib conversation at a cocktail party and exchanging cards.

— areva martin, Time, "This One Trait Is the Key to Becoming the Best Networker in the Room," 20 Mar. 2018
DeVos smiled and gave glib and at times false statements during the segment.

— anne branigin, The Root, "Betsy DeVos Becomes the Face of Clownery After Trainwreck 60 Minutes Interview," 12 Mar. 2018
Most importantly, the picture gets laughs out of the class system without being glib about its cruelties.

— john defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Great Buddha +': Film Review," 7 Feb. 2018
Seth Meyers pulled off one of the trickiest feats in awards show memory: an opening monologue that was not too glib but not too preachy, funny but not out of touch, self-effacing without veering into humble-braggy.

— the new york times, New York Times, "The Best and Worst of the Golden Globes," 8 Jan. 2018
His deepening estrangement from his devoted son is also pure sentimental schlock, while a redemptive final twist feels glib and didactic.

— stephen dalton, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Bingo: The King of the Mornings' ('Bingo: O rei das manhas'): Film Review," 18 Dec. 2017

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

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First Known Use: 1584

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GLIB Defined for English Language Learners

glib

adjective

Definition of glib for English Language Learners

: said or done too easily or carelessly : showing little preparation or thought
: speaking in a smooth, easy way that is not sincere

GLIB Defined for Kids

glib

adjective \ ˈglib \

Definition of glib for Students

glibber; glibbest

: speaking or spoken carelessly and often insincerely

a glib answer

—

glibly

adverb

Learn More about glib

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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Definition of glib

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