言こと葉ば巧たくみ

こ

と

ば

た

く

み

Meanings

noun, na-adjective

smooth-talking; glib; honey-tongued

Describes speech that is cleverly persuasive, often with a negative connotation of being deceitful or manipulative. Can be used as a noun or na-adjective.

彼かれの言こと葉ば巧たくみな説せつ明めいに、つい騙だまされてしまった。
I was tricked by his glib explanation.
セールスマンは言こと葉ば巧たくみに商しょう品ひんを勧すすめてきた。
The salesman recommended the product with smooth talk.

See all 4 example sentences ›

Kanji

言say, word
葉leaf, plane, lobe
巧adroit, skilled, ingenuity

Related words

口くちがうまい
口がうまい is a more colloquial expression for being a smooth talker, often implying charm rather than deceit. 言葉巧み is more formal and emphasizes the cleverness or trickiness of the words themselves.
巧こう言げん
巧言 is a more literary term for flattery or sweet words, often used in set phrases like 巧言令色. 言葉巧み is more common in everyday description of manipulative speech.

Built from

言こと葉ば+たくむ

Written forms

言葉巧み
- ことばたくみ
  Standard kanji spelling; the reading ことばだくみ is also possible with this form.
- ことばだくみ
言こと葉ばたくみ
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; less common but still encountered.
ことば巧み
- ことばたくみ
  Mixed kana-kanji spelling; the reading ことばだくみ is also possible with this form.
- ことばだくみ
ことばだくみ

Etymology

A phrase formed from 言葉, “words,” and 巧み, “skillful.” Its reading is ことばたくみ, without voicing of the second element.