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Glib

Glib

Glib


glib

Definition

(adjective) Fluent and confident in speech, but shallow, insincere, or lacking thought.

Example

His glib explanation sounded convincing, but it crumbled under basic questioning.

Word Origin

Mid 17th century: probably from Low German glibberig, meaning “slippery.”

Fun Fact

Glib is often used to describe people who are too quick with their words—especially when it feels rehearsed, dismissive, or disingenuous. Think of sales pitches that sound slick but empty, or politicians who talk around the truth with practiced ease. It’s not a compliment—glibness suggests style over substance, and the listener often walks away feeling talked at, not to.

Previous Words

Knotty

  • Today's Word
Knotty

Knotty

Knotty


NOT-ee

Definition

(adjective) Full of knots; or, figuratively, extremely difficult and complex, with no straightforward solution.

Example

The lawyers spent weeks untangling the knotty language buried deep in the old property deed.

Word Origin


From Old English cnotta (“knot”) + -ig (adjectival suffix), making the literal meaning simply “full of knots.” The figurative use — meaning intellectually complex or hard to resolve — developed naturally from the physical metaphor of a rope or thread so tangled it cannot be easily undone. The word has been used in its figurative sense since at least the 16th century.

Fun Fact

The original “knotty problem” in Western history may be the Gordian Knot — a legendarily complex knot tied to a cart in the city of Gordium, prophesied to be undone only by the future ruler of Asia. When Alexander the Great encountered it in 333 BCE, he reportedly cut right through it with his sword, giving us the phrase “cutting the Gordian Knot” — solving a knotty problem not by untangling it but by reframing the rules entirely. Modern business and political strategy still reference this move whenever someone sidesteps a complex problem by changing the terms of engagement altogether.

Knotty

Today's Word Knotty NOT-ee Definition (adjective) Full of knots; or,...

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Harbinger

Today's Word Harbinger HAR-bin-jer Definition (noun) A person or thing...

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Machination

Today's Word Machination mak-ih-NAY-shun Definition (noun) A crafty scheme or...

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Descry

Today's Word Descry dih-SKRY Definition (verb) To catch sight of...

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Sardonic

Today's Word Sardonic sar-DON-ik Definition (adjective) Grimly mocking or cynical;...

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