silver tongue

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A gift for speaking so smoothly and attractively that people are easily won over by what you say.

   Grammar: Usually singular with an or his/her: she has a silver tongue.

   Patterns

   • have a silver tongue
   • with a silver tongue

   The salesman had a silver tongue and sold us the more expensive model.

   With her silver tongue, she talked the guard into letting us through.

   A politician without a silver tongue rarely wins over a hostile crowd.

2. 2nouncountableinformal

   A person who is skilled at charming and persuading others with words.

   Grammar: Refers to the speaker, often in the compound silver-tongued.

   Patterns

   • a silver tongue like someone

   Our lawyer is a real silver tongue who can calm any jury.

   Be careful around that silver tongue; he rarely keeps his promises.

   The negotiator, a famous silver tongue, finished the deal in an hour.

Word forms

Common combinations

have a silver tongue

My uncle has a silver tongue and never loses an argument.

use a silver tongue

He used his silver tongue to avoid a fine.

with a silver tongue

She spoke with a silver tongue and won the investors over.

silver tongue and quick wit

A silver tongue and quick wit made him popular at parties.

beware a silver tongue

Beware a silver tongue when money is involved.

Synonyms and how they differ

gift of the gab

Gift of the gab is more casual and British, and it stresses talking easily rather than being persuasive.

eloquence

Eloquence is a formal word that praises fine speaking without suggesting any trickery, unlike silver tongue.

smooth talk

Smooth talk is more openly critical and implies the speaker is probably insincere.

persuasiveness

Persuasiveness is a neutral term for the ability to convince, with none of the charm or slyness of silver tongue.

Opposites

Word family

silver-tongued adjective

able to speak in a smooth, convincing way

silvery adjective

having the look or sound of silver

tongue noun

the organ in the mouth, or a language

Commonly confused: silver tongue or forked tongue?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “silver tongue”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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