glib
/ɡlɪb/adjective, verb, noun
glib is spelled G-L-I-B: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, glib means “Having a ready flow of words but lacking thought or understanding; superficial; shallow” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in glib?
| Letters | 4: G-L-I-B |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,767th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is glib?
Glib appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce glib?
- /ɡlɪb/
Glib has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-glib.ogg, En-au-glib.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of glib
- glibber comparative
- glibbest superlative
- glibs present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- glibbing participle, present
- glibbed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does glib mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having a ready flow of words but lacking thought or understanding; superficial; shallow.
glib answers
- 2
archaicSmooth or slippery.
a sheet of glib ice
- 3
Artfully persuasive but insincere in nature; smooth-talking, honey-tongued, silver-tongued.
a glib tongue
- 4
Snarky or unserious in a disrespectful way.
verb
- 1
To make smooth or slippery.
- 2
obsoleteTo castrate; to geld; to emasculate.
noun
- 1
A mass of matted hair worn down over the eyes, formerly common in Ireland.
- 2
UKobsoleteslangA person's mouth or tongue.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Glib in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | désinvolte |
| German | schwatzhaft, beredsam, glattgebügelt, oberflächlich , glatt, rutschig |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does glib come from?
A shortening of either obsolete English glibbery (“slippery”) or its source, Low German glibberig, glibberich (“slippery”) / Dutch glibberig (“slippery”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).