lip service
Promising but empty talk; words without action or intention.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The manager paid lip service to our concerns.”
“The company pays lip service to environmental issues but never actually recycles anything.”
“Politicians often pay lip service to reform while quietly protecting the interests that fund their campaigns.”
first recorded 16th c.
First use appears c. 1590, in A Treatise against Witchcraft by Henry Holland. Compare earlier lip-labour.
- 01
bite one's lip
To forcibly prevent oneself from speaking, especially in order to avoid saying something inappropriate or likely to cause a dispute.
- 02
button one's lip
To remain silent, especially in order to keep a secret or to avoid saying something inappropriate.
- 03
fat lip
A swelling on the lip, especially one resulting from a punch or other blow.
- 04
give lip
To speak to someone rudely or without respect.
- 05
keep one's lips sealed
To keep quiet; to keep a secret; to not tell.
- 06
loose lip
The practice or characteristic of being overly talkative, especially with respect to inadvertently revealing information which is private or confidential.
- 07
loosen someone's lips
To cause one to speak more freely; to cause one to discuss a subject that would not usually be discussed.
- 08
one's lips are sealed
One will not tell anyone else; one is keeping a secret.
Last updated August 10, 2026