On this page, you will find lists of words to help you expand your vocabulary related to the word ‘lying’ or ‘deceit’. There are nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs, so you will learn how to put stronger sentences together with more sophisticated language. Practicing forming sentences in this way is particularly good if you are preparing for exams, such as IELTS, TOEFL, GRE, SAT, LSAT, Civil Services, and Banking.
He was always lying (verb). It was like he was raised telling lies (noun). But treating people dishonestly (adverb) like that was always going to come back on him. Eventually, someone would reveal his fraudulent (adjective) behaviour and he’d go to jail.
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COMMON USE | ADVANCED EXAMS |
In this column, you will find words that you will come across in everyday English, and which are even suitable for exams like IELTS or TOEFL. *An asterisk means that this word is less popular in everyday English than the other words in the list. These words may also be asked in some simpler exams. | In this column, you will find words that are likely to be asked in more Advanced Exams, such as GRE, MBA, SAT/LSAT, Civil Service, Banks, etc. |
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(e.g. tell a lie; its inherent insidiousness; display insincerity)
COMMON USE | ADVANCED EXAMS |
Bobby told a lie that eventually got him into a lot of trouble. | Modern ideas about representation in the workplace are built upon a fallacy. Not everyone pursues the careers that people expect of them. |
Stop being such a fake. People will stop believing what you say. | The fact that he showed no remorse for his wrongdoings was testament to his characteristic perfidy. |
That guy is such a fraud. Don’t believe a word he says. | Donald Trump’s presidency will likely be remembered for its inherent mendacity and its apparent agenda of divisiveness. |
How he maintained such falsity in the face of so many challenges to his integrity was anyone’s guess. | The corruption that left hundreds of people homeless was attacked in the media for its inherent insidiousness. |
You’ll face trial for your treachery, you know. I’ll see to it personally! | |
It turned out that it was all fabrication, a big lie to get people to invest. | |
The politican was accused of displaying insincerity in his speech. It was well known he didn’t mean a word he said! | |
What he told her was a terrible deceit, and he felt no pleasure as he walked away. | |
He said that he was sick of being surrounded by phoneys, and he stormed out of the office! |
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(e.g. a fallacious argument; a fraudulent account; a deceitful child)
COMMON USE | ADVANCED EXAMS |
She gave the police a phoney address, and they turned up at someone else’s door. | It was a fallacious argument, so it wasn’t long before the facts won out. |
The businessman had a reputation for being unscrupulous in his dealings. No one trusted him. | The way she ingratiated herself into the family was grossly insidious. All she wanted was their money. |
It was a simple diversion. They planted misleading evidence so that the police would look for someone else. | The conman was known for being duplicitous at the best of times. Indeed, it was the main tool of his trade. |
So, they set up a fraudulent account, taking money from the government to which they weren’t entitled. | Such a perfidious act would not be easily forgiven by his peers. It was possible that he might even face prosecution for the money he stole. |
I wish my little sister would stop being so untruthful. It’s getting harder and harder to know when she’s telling the truth! | Maintaining a mendacious approach to the facts at hand, the politician twisted everything to suit his agenda. |
He had always been a deceitful child, so it was no surprise when he ended up in trouble with the law. | I hate when people are disingenuous in an argument. They pretend to believe what they’re saying just to win the debate. |
Her friends got a bit of tired how false she was. She was always making things up. | |
I just found her very insincere, so I cut off contact with her. All the lies were getting to me. | |
It all seemed a bit fake to me. I wasn’t convinced by it at all. | |
His actions were intentionally deceptive, the court ruled, as the Judge handed down a lengthy sentence. | |
He had a reputation for being a very dishonest person. No one trusted a word he said. | |
The group were known for carrying out treacherous* acts against the government. *can also mean ‘dangerous’, as in “The roads were treacherous during the winter months.” |
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(e.g. he was always lying; she’s faking her injury; don’t try to deceive me)
COMMON USE | ADVANCED EXAMS |
It was clear that he was lying. We could see it in his face. | |
He didn’t break his arm. He’s just faking it to get out of doing his homework! |
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Don’t try to deceive me. I can see right through you, you know. |
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(e.g. he dealt with people dishonestly; the room was deceptively large)
COMMON USE | ADVANCED EXAMS |
Dealing with people dishonestly will eventually come back to bite you on the ass! You can’t run a successful business with a bad reputation. | |
The apartment was deceptively* spacious, once you started moving around inside. *Sometimes used to reveal a positive truth |
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