read someone's lips
The phrase "read someone's lips" is commonly used to describe understanding spoken words by observing lip movements, often when hearing is impaired or sound is inaudible.
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Definition
B2Communication
(general, technical)To understand spoken words by observing the movements of someone's lips, often used by individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Example
- She learned to read lips after losing her hearing in an accident.
B2Idiomatic
(informal)To pay close attention to someone's words, often used to emphasize certainty or importance.
Example
- Read my lips: we are not going to raise taxes.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "read someone's lips":