mendacious
adjective
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Mendacious and lying have very similar meanings, but the two are not interchangeable. Mendacious is more formal and literary, suggesting a deception harmless enough to be considered somewhat bland. Lying is more blunt, accusatory, and often confrontational. You might yell, "You lying rat!" in an argument, but you would most likely stick to the more diplomatic, "Aren't you being somewhat mendacious?" in a business meeting. Mendacious can also imply habitual untruthfulness, whereas lying is more likely to be used to identify specific instances of dishonesty.
Examples of mendacious in a Sentence
Eugene McCarraher, Commonweal, 15 June 2007
A choice item in the collection of mendacious stories that were circulated about Columbus after his death is this. Columbus lost himself on the way to Hispaniola, and only by virtue of letters and pilots sent by Martín Alonso did he manage to find the island and join Pinta.
—Samuel Eliot Morison, Admiral of the Ocean Sea, 1942
Mildred had become great friends with her and had given her an elaborate but mendacious account of the circumstances which had brought her to the pass she was in.
—W. Somerset Maugham, Of Human Bondage, 1915
The newspaper story was mendacious and hurtful.
that tabloid routinely publishes the most moronically mendacious stories about celebrities
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
The candidate vying for a second White House stint — in the midst of his third overall campaign — has accumulated a long list of acts who do not want to be associated with his divisive, frequently mendacious rhetoric.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 15 Oct. 2024
Trump’s contrived veneer is being ripped away to reveal an immoral, mendacious, transactional opportunist, without a shred of loyalty to anyone or anything but himself.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mendacious
Cite this Entry
“Mendacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mendacious. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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mendacious
adjective
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