mendacity

noun

men-ˈda-sə-tē How to pronounce mendacity (audio)
Definition of mendacitynext
1
as in lie
a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive highly fictionalized "memoirs" in which the facts were few and the mendacities many

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in deceit
the tendency to tell lies you need to overcome this deplorable mendacity, or no one will ever believe anything you say

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 mendacity The answer from liberal institutions revealed to be complicit in large-scale violence and mendacity should still be a firm no. — Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 But widespread disgust with the mayor’s mendacity and the connivance of eight City Council members is changing the political landscape. — U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Dec. 2025 Viewed from an especially merciless or purgatorial angle, certain strands of my life are little more than histories of lo-fi mendacity. — James Parker, The Atlantic, 28 Oct. 2025 But one finishes this family saga more fully understanding why, for Xi Jinping, opacity and mendacity became the best guarantors of survival. — Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mendacity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mendacity
  1. lie
  2. deceit
  3. tale
  4. deceitfulness
  5. story
Noun
  • Lindsay Clancy defense wants influencer to expose hospital ‘lies’ as judge warns ‘this is not Tripadvisor’.
    — , FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Broad Peak, which rises 8,051 meters (26,414 feet) above sea level in the Karakoram range, is the world’s 12th-highest mountain and lies near K2, the world’s second-highest peak.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of lie
Noun
  • When Gianni Infantino was chosen to replace Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA, he was seen as a reformer, someone who would bring transparency and openness to soccer’s international governing body, which had long been mired in scandal and deceit.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In my view, to tell the story of America’s founding without referencing these profound scars is akin to deceit, if not complicity.
    — Jacob Ware, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of deceit
Noun
  • No two tales of what happened to Maelor after his knight protector was shot dead agree, but the young boy was also slain on the bridge, perhaps torn apart by the mob who assailed him, arguing over what to do with the young prince.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • This time, though, there’s more heavy metal influence — more guitar, more drums, more church organ, more attitude — to complement Cathedral’s grim tale.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of tale
Noun
  • Antisocial personality includes a persistent pattern of traits such as callousness, lack of concern, deceitfulness, and irresponsibility, Ryan said.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Perfidy — from the French perfidie via the Latin perfidia — means deceitfulness, treachery or a breach of faith or promise.
    — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 21 Jan. 2026
Definition of deceitfulness
Noun
  • Davis has provided accounts of his role in Tupac’s murder a number of times, and his story has remained fairly consistent over the years.
    — Eric Levenson, CNN Money, 9 Aug. 2026
  • This collaboration represents a step in enabling filmmakers and creators to tell more immersive, emotionally rich stories with the highest global standards.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of story

Browse Nearby Words

mendacities
mendacity
mended
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Mendacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mendacity. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of vacuous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All