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mendacious

mendacious

6 9.1
Saying things that are not true
  • adjective
  • /mɛnˈdeɪʃəs/
  • Formal
translation icon : mentiroso
  • Never in modern American political history has a more deliberately mendacious candidate appeared before the public.
  • the most mendacious

I I didn't have very much patience for mendacious talk.

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Examples

  • In the process, the Oval Office speech declared that every U.S. war—no matter how mendacious or horrific—is worthy of veneration.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Or, we need to stand up and fight back against the mendacious press.

    Blog text (5)
  • This report is entirely mendacious.

  • If the report is mendacious, then why did the Holy Father in his last official act as Pope ask you to resign?

  • The public relations mindset of our times tempts us constantly to produce mendacious content.

    Academic text (1999)
  • They tend to believe they are the result of this materialistic, mendacious culture.

  • The assumptions of conventional economics are not only illusory, he contends, but mendacious.

    Academic text (1992)
  • Thus, Sandy is not "unprecedented," and labeling it as such is mendacious and self-serving climate alarmism.

    Blog text (14)
  • The truthful physician prescribes nothing without its merit, disdaining medical calamities, avoiding what is mendacious or absonant.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The politician made a mendacious statement during the debate that misled voters.

Synonyms

dishonest
vsmendacious
128 2.5

Likely to lie or cheat to get something for yourself

is simple falsehood, not always tied to personal gain
disingenuous
vsmendacious
66 7.8

Pretending to be honest by hiding what you know

is outright falsehood, not subtle pretense of ignorance
deceptive
vsmendacious
62 5.3

Appearing true but making someone believe something that is not true

is direct dishonesty rather than merely creating wrong impressions
full of shit
vsmendacious
  • Offensive
62 9.9

A person who lies or says things that are not true

is a formal negative label for making false statements, not slang insult
devious
vsmendacious
51 6.4

Acting in a dishonest or tricky way to get what you want

is direct untruth rather than cunning indirect behaviour
deceitful
vsmendacious
31 5.0

Acting in a dishonest way to make people believe something untrue

is plain untruth rather than focused deception methods
untruthful
vsmendacious
6 4.8

Not honest and likely to tell lies

is a direct falsehood or dishonesty in simple terms
economical with the truth
vsmendacious
  • Literature
1 8.6

Not telling the whole truth to hide facts or avoid blame

is an open false statement rather than omission or vagueness
truthless
vsmendacious
7.6

Not honest and likely to say things that are not true

is the general label for simple untruthfulness rather than nuance

Antonyms

1.0

Truthful and fair, not cheating or lying

121 1.3

Always saying what really happened and not lying

How Dishonest

deceitful
31 5.0
dishonest
128 2.5
mendacious
  • Formal
6 9.1
untruthful
6 4.8
insincere
19 4.2

Surface Forms

mendacious positive

Etymology

Mendacious comes from the Latin word mendax, which means 'lying' or 'false'. So a mendacious person is someone who does not tell the truth.