lip
lip — adjective
- lippositive
- lippercomparative
- lippestsuperlative
1. said or done just to please someone, without any real feeling or honest intentio
said or done just to please someone, without any real feeling or honest intention behind it.
The government's promises to help small businesses were just lip service.
collocation: lip service
Dario paid lip service to the new rules but kept doing things his own way.
collocation: pay lip service to
The apology felt like pure lip service to Hyun and the other volunteers.
Rather than pay lip service, the charity actually used the money to help poor families.
- hypocritical
more formal and broader in use (not limited to 'service')
- insincere
general term; 'lip' is more informal and fixed in phrase
文法句型
lip + noun (primarily 'lip service')
用法筆記
This adjective is almost always used before the noun 'service' in the fixed phrase 'lip service' or 'pay lip service to [something]'.
常見錯誤
lip — noun
- lipsingular
- lipsplural
1. the soft, movable tissue on either side of a person's mouth, forming the outer e
the soft, movable tissue on either side of a person's mouth, forming the outer edges that are used in eating, speaking, and showing emotion.
David bit his lower lip nervously while waiting for the interview to start.
collocation: bite one's lip (show anxiety)
The little girl's lips were dry and chapped after playing outside in the cold wind.
collocation: chapped lips
Élise applied lip balm before going up the mountain where the air was very dry.
Roya licked her lips when she saw the fresh fruit on the kitchen table.
His upper lip was sunburned from spending the whole morning at the beach.
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('lips') because the upper and lower lip are typically referred to together. Singular ('upper lip', 'lower lip') is used when specifying one part.
常見錯誤
2. the rim of a container, especially one shaped to let liquid flow out cleanly whe
the rim of a container, especially one shaped to let liquid flow out cleanly when you pour.
Water dripped slowly from the lip of the old stone fountain in the garden.
pattern: the lip of [container]
Folake poured the tea carefully, making sure nothing dripped down the lip of the teapot.
A small crack near the lip of the glass made it unsafe to drink from.
Wren tilted the pitcher so the water ran along the lip without spilling.
文法句型
the lip of [container]
用法筆記
Always used with 'the lip of + [container noun]'. Not used for the top edge of a box or drawer — only containers that hold liquids.
常見錯誤
3. rude or disrespectful speech, especially in reply to someone in authority.
rude or disrespectful speech, especially in reply to someone in authority.
The coach sent Hyun off the field for giving the referee lip during the match.
collocation: give [someone] lip
Adina's mother warned her that she would not take any lip from a teenager.
collocation: take lip from [someone]
I welcome discussion, but I will not accept lip in my classroom.
Tariro's father told him to watch his lip or leave the dinner table.
- respect
polite speech is the opposite of lip
文法句型
give someone lip
take lip from someone
用法筆記
Commonly used in informal spoken English, especially between parents and children or teachers and students. Almost always appears in the phrases 'give [someone] lip' or 'take lip from [someone]'.
常見錯誤
lip — verb
- lippresent simple I / you / we / they
- lips3rd person singular
- lipping-ing form
- lippedpast simple
1. to press or move your lips lightly against something or someone, usually as a ge
to press or move your lips lightly against something or someone, usually as a gentle sign of love or respect.
Beatriz gently lipped her grandmother's forehead before leaving for the airport.
pattern: lip + body part (forehead, cheek)
Jenna gently lipped her daughter's cheek before tucking her into bed.
pattern: lip + body part (cheek, forehead)
The mother lipped her baby's cheek and whispered goodnight.
Gita lipped her grandmother's forehead and whispered a blessing before the ceremony.
文法句型
lip + object (a person or thing)
用法筆記
This sense is less common in everyday speech; speakers usually say 'kiss' or 'brush [one's] lips against' instead. It appears more often in literary or formal descriptions.
常見錯誤
2. to speak words, especially in a quiet, barely audible way.
to speak words, especially in a quiet, barely audible way.
Too tired to argue, Dario merely lipped a quiet apology and turned away.
pattern: lip + direct speech (apology, prayer, words)
The old man lay in bed, lipping a prayer that only he could hear.
Folake lipped a few words of thanks before running onto the stage.
Joshua stood in the back, lipping the lyrics to his favorite song.
- shout
opposite volume of speech
文法句型
lip + speech / words
用法筆記
This sense is rare and primarily found in literary or poetic writing. In everyday English, speakers use 'murmur', 'whisper', or 'mouth' instead.
常見錯誤
lip — combining form
1. relating to fat or fatty tissue in the body; used in medical and scientific term
relating to fat or fatty tissue in the body; used in medical and scientific terms about fat removal or fat processing.
Owen decided to have liposuction to remove extra fat from his stomach area.
example compound: liposuction
Tomás asked the doctor whether the lipolysis in his blood test meant his fat cells were shrinking.
example compound: lipolysis
Anong's eyes widened when the nurse showed her how lipoproteins had built up in her arteries.
A lipoma is a harmless lump of fatty tissue that grows under the skin.
文法句型
lip- + noun (medical term)
用法筆記
This combining form comes from Greek 'lipos' meaning 'fat'. It is unrelated to the English word 'lip' (mouth part). It appears in medical terms such as liposuction (fat removal surgery), lipolysis (fat breakdown), lipoma (a fatty lump), and lipoprotein (a fat-protein molecule).