adjective
mendacious
men-DAY-shus/menˈdeɪʃəs/
Dishonest or given to lying.
The mendacious man denies taking a cookie despite the crumbs and concealed treat.
Etymology
Mendacium meant “a lie,” but its ancestry reaches back to menda, “fault or defect.” The shift toward dishonesty was influenced by mentiri, “to lie,” connecting the idea of a fault specifically with false speech.
In context
The mendacious captain was perfectly well aware that an affair of honor always makes a man stand well in the eyes of a woman.
More examples
- Her mendacious claims mislead customers about the product's safety.
- No one trusts the mayor's mendacious promises anymore.
- He sounds sincere, but his account is mendacious.
Forms
mendacious
mendacity noun — The habit or practice of lying.
mendaciously adverb — In a dishonest or untruthful manner.
Similar words
- untruthful
- Directly describes false statements, without necessarily implying habitual lying.
- dishonest
- Covers cheating and other misconduct as well as lying.
- deceitful
- Emphasizes deliberately misleading others, including through actions or omissions.