Word of the Day

: March 3, 2026

spiel

noun SPEEL

What It Means

A spiel is a fast speech that someone has often said before and that is usually intended to persuade people to buy something or to agree to something.

// The founder gave us a long spiel about the benefits of joining the running club.

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spiel in Context

“We were in a hotel and when he and his publicist exited one door of the suite, I slipped out the other to meet him at the elevator. I gave him my spiel about the film and handed him a rough cut on VHS. He said, ‘Alright, we’ll take a look.’” — Ed Burns, quoted in The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Jan. 2026

Did You Know?

Here’s our spiel on spiel: it’s well-known as a noun, and you may also be aware that spiel can be used as a verb meaning “to talk extravagantly,” but did you know that the verb can also mean “to play music”? That, in fact, is the word’s original meaning, and one it shares with its German root, spielen. Spiel is also found in glockenspiel, the name of a musical instrument similar to the xylophone.