glib

IPA/ɡlɪb/
KK[ɡlˈɪb]IPA/ɡlɪb/

glib — adjective

  • glibpositive
  • glibbercomparative
  • glibbestsuperlative

1. describing speech or a speaker that sounds smooth and confident but lacks sincer

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing speech or a speaker that sounds smooth and confident but lacks sincerity, honesty, or careful thought — like a salesperson who gives quick, polished answers without really meaning them.

例句

Lara gave a glib answer to the journalist about the missing money.

collocation: glib answer

The car salesman's glib promises sounded convincing but meant nothing.

collocation: glib promises

同義詞
  • slick

    more informal; suggests someone is clever but in a dishonest way

  • smooth-talking

    more descriptive and colloquial; focuses on the speaker's persuasive style

  • insincere

    broader in meaning; can apply to any kind of dishonesty, not just speech

反義詞
  • sincere

    genuine and honest in what is said

  • thoughtful

    showing careful consideration rather than quick, easy answers

文法句型

be + glib

glib + noun (answer, promise, excuse, smile, talker)

用法筆記

Strongly negative in tone. Unlike smooth or fluent, glib always carries the suggestion that the speaker is hiding something or has not thought seriously about what they are saying.

常見錯誤

❌She is a glib speaker of three languages.
✅She is a fluent speaker of three languages.
💡glib has a negative meaning of insincerity; use fluent for neutral descriptions of language ability.
❌The politician gave a glib and honest answer.
✅The politician gave a straightforward and honest answer.
💡glib and honest are contradictory in meaning.

2. lacking real depth, serious thought, or meaningful content — used about writing,

2.形容詞C1
釋義

lacking real depth, serious thought, or meaningful content — used about writing, ideas, or analyses that treat important or complex topics in a way that is too simple to be valuable.

例句

Soraya found the movie review too glib to be worth reading.

The textbook offers only a glib overview of the Roman empire.

collocation: glib overview

同義詞
  • superficial

    more common and neutral; describes lack of depth in any context

  • shallow

    adds a stronger negative judgment of emptiness

  • simplistic

    focuses on oversimplification of something complex

反義詞
  • profound

    showing great depth of understanding

  • thorough

    careful and complete in treatment

文法句型

be + glib

glib + noun (analysis, overview, summary, treatment)

用法筆記

Often applied to writing, commentary, or arguments that skip over important details or complications. The focus is on the shallowness of the content rather than the speaker's intention.

常見錯誤

❌The summary was brief but not glib.
✅The summary was brief but not superficial.
💡glib implies a dismissive or overly simple treatment, not just shortness.