silver tongue
The trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He has a silver tongue and always gets what he wants.”
“You use your silver tongue to get out of trouble at work.”
“That lawyer has a silver tongue but I do not trust him.”
“The salesman used his silver tongue to convince her to buy a car she didn't need.”
“The politician used his silver tongue to avoid answering the difficult questions about the new tax laws during the live debate.”
“My neighbor has a silver tongue and often talks people into doing his yard work for free.”
“The charming con artist used his silver tongue to persuade the elderly couple into investing their entire life savings in a fake gold mine.”
“Though she lacked experience, her silver tongue secured her the position, leaving the interviewers unaware of how little she actually knew.”
disputed origin
From silver + tongue. The noun phrase is likely derived from the adjective silver-tongued, which appeared in English earlier than the substantive form. The construction follows the pattern of attributing the qualities of the precious metal—clarity, resonance, and value—to the mechanics of speech.
- 01
bite one's tongue
To resist the urge to speak out, especially in order to avoid saying something inappropriate or likely to cause a dispute.
- 02
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
Born rich, or into a wealthy family.
- 03
cat got someone's tongue
Why is someone not saying anything?
- 04
civil tongue
A polite manner of speaking.
- 05
find one's tongue
To speak after being unable to do so or after remaining silent; to find something to say.
- 06
forked tongue
The characteristic of deceptiveness; duplicity; untruthfulness.
- 07
hold one's tongue
To refrain from talking about something.
- 08
keep a civil tongue in one's head
To maintain a polite manner of speaking.
Last updated August 10, 2026