untruthful

adjective

un·​truth·​ful ˌən-ˈtrüth-fəl 

: not containing or telling the truth : false, inaccurate

an untruthful report

untruthfully

ˌən-ˈtrüth-fə-lē 

adverb

untruthfulness noun

Synonyms

• erroneous
• inaccurate
• incorrect
• wrong
• false

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

Officers making contact with Hyatt noted an odor of intoxicants, staggering gait, confusion and illogical, untruthful responses to questions, according to the motion. —Arkansas Online, 18 Aug. 2025

The deficient vice of integrity is being fake, untruthful, inconsistent, unprincipled, and manipulative. —Mary Crossan, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025

During the trial, prosecutors showed videos of the multiple interviews Troconis had with law enforcement and accused her of being untruthful about Farber Dulos’ disappearance. —Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 21 Apr. 2025

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1843, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for untruthful

• truthful
• youthful

Kids Definition

untruthful

adjective

un·​truth·​ful ˌən-ˈtrüth-fəl 

ˈən-

: not containing or telling the truth : false, inaccurate

untruthful reports

untruthfully

-fə-lē 

adverb

untruthfulness noun