Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective untruthful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of untruthful are deceitful, dishonest, and mendacious. While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

When is deceitful a more appropriate choice than untruthful?

The words deceitful and untruthful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

When would dishonest be a good substitute for untruthful?

While the synonyms dishonest and untruthful are close in meaning, dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

When might mendacious be a better fit than untruthful?

While in some cases nearly identical to untruthful, mendacious may suggest bland or even harmlessly mischievous deceit and when used of people often suggests a habit of telling untruths.

mendacious tales of adventure

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of untruthful However, Miranda, Assad, and Arroyo routinely failed in their obligations to cooperate with the investigation by delaying responses, refusing to provide certain information or documents, and providing inconsistent or untruthful responses. Chris Deubert, Forbes, 19 Nov. 2024 Phelan, largely brushing off Covey's attacks as politically motivated and untruthful, has stuck to his reputation of having represented the district through several election cycles, running unopposed over the past several, and his work to advance border security legislation and funding last year. Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman, 20 May 2024 Our choice is the person who says the most outrageous, offensive and untruthful things, or the person who is subjected to those insults and lies. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024 This comes after Adrian Houser was moved to the bullpen after a poor start to the season, after Edwin Diaz was briefly taken out of the closer role and after and Jorge Lopez was designated for assignment for being untruthful and unremorseful in controversial postgame remarks last week. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 4 June 2024 See All Example Sentences for untruthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untruthful
Adjective
  • Still, Abrego Garcia’s deportation to El Salvador was erroneous, the government said.
    Ashley Oliver, The Washington Examiner, 30 Apr. 2025
  • There’s a chance the erroneous WinRE error might be a little persistent.
    Zak Doffman, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Trump claimed the inaccurate poll violated consumer fraud protections; the Register is currently fighting the lawsuit in court.
    Hadas Gold, CNN Money, 30 Apr. 2025
  • How to lose weight Health experts stress that tactics to lose large amounts of weight quickly are either inaccurate or unsustainable.
    Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Pretending otherwise is dishonest and counter-factual.
    Mark Hughes, Forbes.com, 3 May 2025
  • The cruelty of his dishonest sham, founded on disdain for the autistic community and aimed at parents of autistic children, defies decency.
    Dan Vergano, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Common factors that contribute to misconfigurations include: • Human Error: Typing mistakes, syntax errors or incorrect command sequences.
    Alexander Britkin, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025
  • That is the correct decision for her and her game, but also the incorrect decision for all of us at home watching a television program.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 8 May 2025
Adjective
  • Impulsive, egocentric, and mendacious, Trump has, in the same span, set fire to the integrity of his office.
    David Remnick, New Yorker, 27 Apr. 2025
  • Her unsettling command of the character — who was equal parts sweet, vulnerable, mendacious, and menacing — was one of the highlights of the series.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Some would argue that picking a celebrity is the wrong way forward.
    Footwear News, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
  • In the 20th century, however, things started to go wrong.
    Julia Buckley, CNN Money, 4 May 2025
Adjective
  • Uncanny valley is a term for a reason: The brain can only take so much false information that’s appears to be real.
    Kate Aurthur, Variety, 5 May 2025
  • Comments Steve Burns understands first-hand the detrimental impact online rumors and false narratives can have on public figures.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Untruthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untruthful. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

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