Liars & Deception Vocabulary

to speak or act in an evasive way; to lie or mislead

“The witness prevaricated when asked direct questions about the incident.”

to use ambiguous language to conceal the truth or avoid commitment

“Politicians often equivocate to avoid making firm promises.”

to conceal one's true motives, feelings, or beliefs

“She dissembled her disappointment with a forced smile.”

to invent or concoct something, typically with deceitful intent

“He fabricated an elaborate excuse for missing the meeting.”

not telling the truth; lying

“The mendacious report was filled with false statistics.”

deceitful in speech or conduct; double-dealing

“His duplicitous nature made him impossible to trust.”

not candid or sincere; giving a false appearance of frankness

“Her disingenuous apology fooled no one.”

deceitful and untrustworthy; treacherous

“The perfidious ally betrayed them at the crucial moment.”

superficially plausible but actually wrong; misleading in appearance

“The lawyer's specious argument almost convinced the jury.”

not genuine, authentic, or true; false or fake

“The spurious claims were quickly debunked by experts.”

based on a mistaken belief; containing a fallacy

“The fallacious reasoning led to incorrect conclusions.”

of doubtful authenticity; widely circulated but probably false

“The story about the company's founding is probably apocryphal.”

the use of trickery to achieve a political, financial, or legal purpose

“The contract was full of legal chicanery designed to confuse.”

deceit used to achieve one's goal; a stratagem used to deceive

“He gained entry through subterfuge, posing as a delivery person.”

an unfounded rumor or story

“The canard about the CEO's resignation spread through the office.”

the use of clever but false arguments, especially to deceive

“His sophisticated sophistry almost masked his flawed logic.”

the making of false and defamatory statements about someone

“She sued the newspaper for calumny after the libelous article.”

the action of making false spoken statements damaging to a person's reputation

“The slander destroyed his political career.”

the offense of willfully telling an untruth after taking an oath

“The witness was charged with perjury for lying under oath.”

a person who pretends to be someone else to deceive others

“The impostor had been posing as a doctor for years.”

a thing that is not what it is purported to be

“The entire trial was a sham designed to convict him.”

an outward appearance that is maintained to conceal a less pleasant reality

“Behind the facade of wealth, the family was deeply in debt.”