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Glite Dictionary
to grease someone's palm

to grease someone's palm

8.1
To give someone money secretly to make them do something for you
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : sobornar
  • Some officials are honest, but others expect you to grease their palm before processing paperwork.

Examples

  • She refused to grease anyone's palm, even though it would have sped up the approval.

  • Rumors spread that the construction manager would grease the inspector's palm to pass the project.

  • Don't grease his palm to get a favor!

  • Why would you grease someone's palm for such a small issue?

  • The contractor decided to grease the mayor's palm to ensure the project got municipal approval.

  • To secure the contract, he felt he had no choice but to grease someone's palm with cash.

  • Many believe that you need to grease their palm to get anything done in government offices.

Synonyms

to bribe
vsto grease someone's palm
140 4.1

Give money or gifts to a person in authority to make them do something dishonest

is the informal idiom for secretly paying an official to persuade them
to grease one's palms
vsto grease someone's palm
  • Informal
1 8.5

To give someone money secretly to make them do something for you

is the singular idiom variant used in the same informal bribery sense
to cross one's palm with silver
vsto grease someone's palm
  • Archaic
9.3

To give someone money to get a favor, often as a bribe

is focused on secret payments to persuade an official rather than general payment
to bung
vsto grease someone's palm
  • UK
9.9

To give someone a little extra money for helping you

is a larger illegal payment aimed at persuading an authority, not a small tip

How Illegal

to grease someone's palm
  • Informal
8.1
tip
185 1.0
to gift
27 2.1

Surface Forms

grease someone's palm infinitive
greased someone's palm past
greased someone's palm past participle
greasing someone's palm present participle
greases someone's palm third person singular

Morphology

grease + someone's + palm

The literal meanings of 'grease' (apply a slippery substance) and 'palm' (the inner hand) are clear, and together they suggest putting something into someone's hand; however the specific sense 'to bribe' is a metaphorical/idiomatic extension that is not fully predictable from the parts. A B1 learner who knows the words might infer a sense of giving something secretly to the hand but would likely not reliably derive the conventional meaning 'to bribe' without prior exposure.

Etymology

Grease someone's palm may come from the image of putting grease on a person's palm so coins slip in easily and secretly. So it means 'to bribe', to give money to someone to get a favour.