Choose the most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom:
Most of the political parties pay lip service to the plight of the poor.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → pretend to regard
To pay lip service to something is to express support or concern for it in words only, without doing anything to show it. The support comes from the lips, not from action. Political parties that pay lip service to the plight of the poor only pretend to care about them.
Example: The company pays lip service to safety but never repairs its old machines.