Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective untruthful differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of untruthful are deceitful, dishonest, and mendacious. While all these words mean "unworthy of trust or belief," untruthful stresses a discrepancy between what is said and fact or reality.

an untruthful account of their actions

When is deceitful a more appropriate choice than untruthful?

The words deceitful and untruthful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, deceitful usually implies an intent to mislead and commonly suggests a false appearance or double-dealing.

the secret affairs of a deceitful spouse

When would dishonest be a good substitute for untruthful?

While the synonyms dishonest and untruthful are close in meaning, dishonest implies a willful perversion of truth in order to deceive, cheat, or defraud.

a swindle usually involves two dishonest people

When might mendacious be a better fit than untruthful?

While in some cases nearly identical to untruthful, 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

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of untruthful On Wednesday, the defense attacked Marquez’s credibility, questioning his motives for cooperating with the FBI and grilling him over episodes in his background that might paint him as untruthful. Megan Crepeau, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2024 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 Phelan, largely brushing off Covey's attacks as politically motivated and untruthful, has stuck to his reputation of having represented the district through several election cycles, running unopposed over the past several, and his work to advance border security legislation and funding last year. Hogan Gore, Austin American-Statesman, 20 May 2024 Our choice is the person who says the most outrageous, offensive and untruthful things, or the person who is subjected to those insults and lies. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for untruthful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for untruthful
Adjective
  • Those have included other deportations to third countries and the erroneous deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an El Salvadoran who had lived in Maryland for roughly 14 years working and raising a family.
    Julie Carr Smyth, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025
  • Those have included other deportations to third countries and the erroneous deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran who had lived as a legal U.S. resident in Maryland for 14 years while working and raising a family.
    Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2025
Adjective
  • After 2024’s data, Gary Mayor Eddie Melton and Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott were critical of the census estimates, saying data collection could be inaccurate due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Post-Tribune archives.
    Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
  • As Justin forges his own way forward, these unnecessary stories and inaccurate assumptions will continue.
    Rachel DeSantis, People.com, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • There's also research showing that AI agents can easily be subversive, self-serving and dishonest in their actions.
    Lisa Loud, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • That’s a fact, so saying otherwise is dishonest and can lead to confusion.
    Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 5 May 2025
Adjective
  • The court had to issue a letter stating the interpretation was incorrect.
    Bob Carlson, Forbes.com, 20 May 2025
  • If a project fails because the decision to go ahead with the project turns out to be incorrect (which should happen frequently), that failure should not bear on the manager responsible for the project.
    Tim Koller, Time, 20 May 2025
Adjective
  • Impulsive, egocentric, and mendacious, Trump has, in the same span, set fire to the integrity of his office.
    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
Adjective
  • Ship was heading the wrong direction The training ship arrived at New York's Pier 17 and was open to the public to visit from May 13 to 17, according to the Mexican Consulate in New York.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 19 May 2025
  • Baltimore deserves credit for stepping up and sending Tullis-Joyce the wrong way, particularly against a cacophonous backdrop of angry United fans behind that goal.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • Now their weird discomfort with disease—and their outré views on cancer in particular—is being refracted through a sea of false, indecent speculations.
    Benjamin Mazer, The Atlantic, 19 May 2025
  • This discrepancy hindered the adoption of BI, which might further damage AI by generating models that are trained with false assumptions and generate erroneous predictions.
    Artyom Keydunov, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Untruthful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/untruthful. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

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