Lying Vocabulary

We know that lying is wrong, but we all do it from time to time! Here is some useful vocabulary related to the topic of lying.


to lie/fib – verb: when we say something that isn't true
• tell a lie – verb + noun collocation
• a lie/a fib – noun
• lying/fibbing – gerund
• a liar/ a fibber – noun (person)
• a compulsive liar – a person who always tells lies

a white lie – a trivial lie that is usually told to prevent us offending someone or hurting their feelings.
Jane asked if I liked her new haircut, I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so I told a white lie and said I did.

to pull the wool over somebody’s eyes (idiom) – to deceive someone.
So-called Psychics who claim to have paranormal or supernatural powers
are just pulling the wool over people’s eyes.

catch somebody out (phrasal verb) – to discover that someone is lying or doing something wrong.
I suspected he wasn't telling me the truth, and one day I caught him out when I found some messages on his phone from another woman.

honesty is the best policy (saying) – it's better to be honest than lie, even when it's difficult.
When filling out insurance forms, honesty is always the best policy.



Other Verbs Related to Lying


trick - something you do to deceive someone, or to make someone look stupid.
He doesn’t really have telepathic powers. He just tricks people.

deceive - to make someone believe something that isn’t true.
The company deceived customers by selling old computers as new.

mislead - cause (someone) to have the wrong idea or impression.
This report only scratches the surface of the various ways schools use statistics to mislead parents and the public.

betray - to behave in a dishonest way with someone who trusts you.
He betrayed his best friend of 20 years, by having an affair with his wife.

cheat - to do something that isn't honest, in order to get something.
He cheats at card games, so he can win a lot of money.

con - to make someone believe something false, usually so that that person will give you their money or possessions.
She felt she had been conned into buying the car.

dupe - to deceive someone, usually by making them do something that they didn't intend to do.
The girls were duped by drug smugglers into carrying heroin for them over the border.

misinform - Give (someone) false or inaccurate information. This could be by accident or on purpose.
Politicians often misinform the general public.

pretend - to behave as if something is true when it isn’t.
John pretended he was reading in class, but he was looking at his phone really.

swindle - to get money dishonestly from someone by deceiving or cheating them.
They swindled local businesses out of thousands of dollars.
2019年3月12日
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*IF YOU'D LIKE TO BOOK A LESSON, PLEASE SEND ME A MESSAGE.* *I teach adult learners.* Would you like your strengths and weaknesses with English to be identified? Do you want your mistakes to be corrected? I will do both of those things and much more! I'm an experienced online British English teacher for adult learners. My classes include: 📝 speaking and conversation 📝 error correction 📝 grammar 📝 vocabulary 📝 pronunciation 📝 listening 📝 reading 📝 writing activities 📝 phonetics 📝 homework / self study I provide structured English lessons, which involve working on grammar, speaking and listening skills, reading activities, plus writing exercises (if you're interested in that). I also help students to expand their vocabulary and improve their pronunciation. My lessons involve self study, so you get more English practice, than just the time in lessons. I teach students who need to study grammar areas or would like to refresh their grammar knowledge and we practise using the str...
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