Munchausen
Fictional exaggerating nobleman
Munchausen appears in two psychiatric terms.
Munchausen syndrome is a disorder where someone fabricates or induces illness in themselves to gain medical attention.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy (also called factitious disorder imposed on another) involves making someone else—usually a child—appear sick, sometimes by actually harming them.
Both terms derive from Baron Munchausen, an 18th-century figure known for fantastical tall tales.
Twisted strand for crafts
- whopperOutsized thing or untruth
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- tall-taleOutlandish fictional narrative
- prevaricationMisleading speech avoiding directness
mythomania · confabulation · fable · invention · untruth · fib · make-believe · storytelling
Produced by human effort
- self-inducedCaused by oneself
- attention-seekingCraving others' focus
- proxyAuthorized substitute
- pathologicalRelating to disease processes
malingering · hospitalization · psychiatric · DSM · diagnosis · disorder · self-harm · patient
Deliberate deception for effect
- charadeAbsurd or obvious pretense
- pretenseDeceptive outward show
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- impostureDeception through false identity
sham · masquerade · feigning · fakery · manipulation · duplicity · subterfuge · artifice
One pursuing exciting exploits
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- eighteenth-centuryRelating to the 1700s
- GermanCentral European language
- literatureBody of written works
fantastical · cannonball · horseback · swamp · raconteur · boastful · outlandish · satirical
yarn
Twisted strand for crafts
- whopperOutsized thing or untruth
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- tall-taleOutlandish fictional narrative
prevarication · mythomania · confabulation · fable · invention · untruth · fib · make-believe · storytelling · falsehood
factitious
Produced by human effort
- self-inducedCaused by oneself
- attention-seekingCraving others' focus
- proxyAuthorized substitute
pathological · malingering · hospitalization · psychiatric · DSM · diagnosis · disorder · self-harm · patient · caregiver
hoax
Deliberate deception for effect
imposture · sham · masquerade · feigning · fakery · manipulation · duplicity · subterfuge · artifice · guile
adventurer
One pursuing exciting exploits
- exaggerationOverstating beyond reality
- eighteenth-centuryRelating to the 1700s
- GermanCentral European language
literature · fantastical · cannonball · horseback · swamp · raconteur · boastful · outlandish · satirical · Gilliam
- Weser RegionHamelin, Weser Renaissance, Pied Piper
Munchausenveracious
Inclined toward truth
straight shooter · truth-teller · George Washington · candid · forthright
- Munchausen syndromeFaking illness for attention
- Munchausen by proxyFaking illness in dependents