Adjacent Words

lip service definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: an expression of agreement that is not supported by real conviction [syn: hypocrisy, lip service]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1644 an avowal of advocacy, adherence, or allegiance expressed in words but not backed by deeds — usually used with pay

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lip Lip (l[i^]p), n. [OE. lippe, AS. lippa; akin to D. lip, G. lippe, lefze, OHG. lefs, Dan. l[ae]be, Sw. l["a]pp, L. labium, labrum. Cf. Labial.] 1. One of the two fleshy folds which surround the orifice of the mouth in man and many other animals. In man the lips are organs of speech essential to certain articulations. Hence, by a figure they denote the mouth, or all the organs of speech, and sometimes speech itself. Thine own lips testify against thee. --Job xv. 6. 2. An edge of an opening; a thin projecting part of anything; a kind of short open spout; as, the lip of a vessel. 3. The sharp cutting edge on the end of an auger. 4. (Bot.) (a) One of the two opposite divisions of a labiate corolla. (b) The odd and peculiar petal in the Orchis family. See Orchidaceous. 5. (Zo["o]l.) One of the edges of the aperture of a univalve shell. Lip bit, a pod auger. See Auger. Lip comfort, comfort that is given with words only. Lip comforter, one who comforts with words only. Lip labor, unfelt or insincere speech; hypocrisy. --Bale. Lip reading, the catching of the words or meaning of one speaking by watching the motion of his lips without hearing his voice. --Carpenter. Lip salve, a salve for sore lips. Lip service, expression by the lips of obedience and devotion without the performance of acts suitable to such sentiments. Lip wisdom, wise talk without practice, or unsupported by experience. Lip work. (a) Talk. (b) Kissing. [Humorous] --B. Jonson. To make a lip, to drop the under lip in sullenness or contempt. --Shak. To shoot out the lip (Script.), to show contempt by protruding the lip.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you say that someone pays lip service to an idea, you are critical of them because they say they are in favour of it, but they do not do anything to support it. Unhappily, he had done no more than pay lip service to their views. N-UNCOUNT: usu N to n/-ing [disapproval]

Moby Thesaurus

BOMFOG, Pecksniffery, Tartuffery, Tartuffism, cant, empty gesture, false piety, formalism, hypocrisy, hypocriticalness, lip devotion, lip homage, lip praise, lip reverence, lip worship, mealymouthedness, mouth honor, mouthing, mummery, oiliness, ostentatious devotion, pharisaism, religiosity, sanctimoniousness, sanctimony, snuffling, soft soap, solemn mockery, sweet talk, tokenism, unctuousness