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silver tongue

/ˈsɪlvər tʌŋ/
IPA guide

Other forms: silver tongues

Having a silver tongue means being a clever, persuasive speaker. A car salesperson with a silver tongue can convince customers that they desperately need the fanciest SUV on the lot.

People with silver tongues have a way with words, an eloquent style of speaking. This term is often used for those who use their gift of gab in a sneaky or deceptive way, influencing others to do what they want. Somehow, your sister's silver tongue always seems to get her that last cookie or a ride in the front seat. This 16th-century idiom comes from an obscure meaning of silver, "melodious or pleasantly resonant."

Definitions of silver tongue
  1. noun
    small songbird common in North America
    see moresee less
    type of:
    New World sparrow
    sparrow-like North American finches
  2. noun
    eloquence and persuasiveness in speaking
  3. noun
    a person who speaks eloquently and persuasively
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