untruthful

adjective

un·​truth·​ful ˌən-ˈtrüth-fəl How to pronounce untruthful (audio)
: not containing or telling the truth : false, inaccurate
an untruthful report
untruthfully adverb
untruthfulness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for untruthful

dishonest, deceitful, mendacious, untruthful mean unworthy of trust or belief.

dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

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

untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

Examples of untruthful in a Sentence

an unintentionally untruthful statement that the candidate later corrected the political action committee was slammed for spreading untruthful smears about the candidate and his wife
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile recent press reports suggest that Mr. Biden has been untruthful about a Justice investigation into his own handling of classified materials. James Freeman, WSJ, 18 Sep. 2023 Federal prosecutors alleged in a lawsuit last year that Cigna submitted inaccurate and untruthful codes for Medicare Advantage between 2016 and 2021. Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 2 Oct. 2023 But as Galactica showed, these systems could also generate untruthful, biased and otherwise toxic information. Cade Metz, New York Times, 25 Sep. 2023 America remains perilously divided, a fifty-fifty country where candidates of a rogue G.O.P. as manifestly unqualified as Herschel Walker in Georgia and as viciously untruthful as Kari Lake in Arizona can receive 48.6 and 49.7 per cent of the vote, respectively. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2022 The news was first reported by Variety. VDC alleged that Donaldson didn’t deliver on his contractual obligations, including publicity and promotional work, failing to publicly support MrBeast Burger, and making untruthful and disparaging statements. Mia Sato, The Verge, 7 Aug. 2023 Original reports on the case were largely untruthful, reporting her murder as a justifiable homicide. Alaina Bookman | Abookman@al.com, al, 5 Aug. 2023 Police said James was untruthful with detectives during an interview held at the Third District station on Chester Avenue on Saturday. John H. Tucker, cleveland, 19 July 2023 As the nation’s top consumer protection watchdog, the FTC is empowered to prosecute privacy abuses, untruthful marketing, and other harms. Brian Fung, CNN, 13 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'untruthful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1843, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of untruthful was circa 1843

Dictionary Entries Near untruthful

Cite this Entry

“Untruthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untruthful. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

untruthful

adjective
un·​truth·​ful ˌən-ˈtrüth-fəl How to pronounce untruthful (audio)
ˈən-
: not containing or telling the truth : false, inaccurate
untruthful reports
untruthfully adverb
untruthfulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on untruthful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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