fib
Harmless little untruth
A fib is a small, harmless lie—the kind told to avoid minor awkwardness or spare feelings: I told a fib about why I was late.
The verb means to tell such lies: She fibbed about her age.
Fib carries less moral weight than lie, suggesting trivial rather than serious deception.
Deliberate falsehood
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- untruthA false statement
- half-truthDeceptive incomplete statement
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
prevarication · dishonesty · misrepresentation · distortion · falsification · equivocation · dissemble · deceive
Scale with lowered third
- pettyOf little importance
- trivialLacking significance or weight
- slightMinor or thin
- smallLimited in size
harmless · inconsequential · insignificant · trifling · negligible · innocent · unimportant · paltry
Outlandish fictional narrative
- whopperOutsized thing or untruth
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
- overstatementClaim beyond the facts
hyperbole · stretch · inflation · dramatization · magnification · elaboration · flourish · coloring
lie
Deliberate falsehood
- falsehoodDeliberate untrue statement
- untruthA false statement
- half-truthDeceptive incomplete statement
fabrication · prevarication · dishonesty · misrepresentation · distortion · falsification · equivocation · dissemble · deceive · mislead
minor
Scale with lowered third
small · harmless · inconsequential · insignificant · trifling · negligible · innocent · unimportant · paltry · frivolous
tall-tale
Outlandish fictional narrative
- whopperOutsized thing or untruth
- yarnTwisted strand for crafts
- embellishmentDecorative addition or exaggeration
overstatement · hyperbole · stretch · inflation · dramatization · magnification · elaboration · flourish · coloring · amplification
concoct
Invent or devise
fudge · falsify · cook-up · contrive · imagine · devise · improvise
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- excusesexcuse, not my fault, overslept, alibi, excuses
- falsehoodslie, lies, lying, untruth, falsehood
- funny storiesjoke, anecdote, tall tale, fish story, yarn
- minor offensesminor offense, white lie, petty offense, jaywalking, misdemeanor
- deceptionslie, lies, lying, deceit, decoy