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Definitions

lip service

NOUN
empty talk
Synonyms
WEAK
duplicity empty talk hollow words hypocrisy hypocritical respect insincerity jive lie lip devotion lip homage lip praise lip reverence lip worship mouth honor mouthing sham smooth talk sweet-talk token agreement tokenism unctuousness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If the music world is decamping from London again this week, then it needs to "give back to the community", she adds, and not just pay it "lip service".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Democracy depends on public schools that pay more than lip service to welcoming everyone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Can any of us ever pay more than lip service to peace?

From Salon • Feb. 13, 2026

Preparing Americans for this change can’t be just lip service with no follow-through.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 6, 2026

“Everyone pays lip service to world peace,” Hideo says.

From "Warcross" by Marie Lu

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