blarney
3
8.7
- noun
- /ˈblɑrni/
:
halago
- Everyone knew his compliments were mere blarney, meant to gain their favor.
- full of blarney
- bit of blarney
- Irish blarney
Examples
-
Cut the blarney, Mr. Johnson.
-
And I got enough Irish from me father to know blarney when I hear it.
-
It's a bunch of blarney.
Fiction book (1999) -
Tuohey's claim of close association with me was mostly blarney.
Fiction book (1999) -
You've a gift of the blarney about you, no mistaking that.
-
My mother's a Scot, but if she were Irish, she'd say you were full of blarney.
Fiction book (1993) -
As for the supposed sweetness and light between Reagan and Tip O'Neill, it was mostly blarney.
Academic text (2011) -
His charming stories were just a bit of blarney to win over the audience.
-
She used her skills in blarney to convince her boss to give her a raise.
Synonyms
5
4.4
Gentle persuasion using praise or kind words to get someone to do something
3
4.3
Flattering words that try to persuade someone but are not sincere
1
7.6
Insincere praise used to try to influence someone
Antonyms
Compounds
- Literature
1
8.1
A stone at Blarney Castle in Ireland that people kiss to speak in a fluent, pleasant way
How Persuasive
Surface Forms
Etymology
Blarney comes from Blarney Castle in Ireland, where a famous rock called the Blarney Stone was said to give people the gift of smooth talk. People began to use the castle's name for flattering or deceitful talk. So, blarney now means 'smooth, persuasive flattery'.