fabulist

noun

fab·​u·​list ˈfa-byə-list How to pronounce fabulist (audio)
1
: a creator or writer of fables
2
: liar
fabulist adjective
or fabulistic

Examples of fabulist in a Sentence

a once highly admired journalist whose reputation is now that of a disgraced fabulist
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The author, a naturally playful fabulist, is furloughed here into invention and free play. James Wood, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025 And, yes, this compulsive fabulist did in fact embezzle campaign funds from his own donors to fund a lavish lifestyle, did commit identity theft and did fraudulently collect pandemic unemployment benefits. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Twin Cities, 24 Oct. 2025 Trouble doubles down with the arrival of Baroness Eloise Bosquet de Wagner Wehrhorn (Ana de Armas), a big-talking fabulist who arrives on the island like a Real Housewife of Floreana, with dreams of building a luxury hotel on the island. Adam Graham, Chicago Tribune, 21 Aug. 2025 Many people do not know when LLMs are lying to them, which is unsurprising given that the chatbots are very convincing fabulists, serving up slop with unflappable confidence to their unsuspecting audience. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fabulist

Word History

Etymology

probably borrowed from Middle French fabuliste, from Latin fābula "talk, account, fable entry 1" + French -iste -ist entry 1

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fabulist was in 1593

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Cite this Entry

“Fabulist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fabulist. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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