Mendacious

Mendacious describes a person or statement that is intentionally deceitful; given to lying or falsehood. It implies a deliberate and habitual inclination to mislead, often with a calculated purpose to deceive or gain an advantage. The term goes beyond simple untruths, connoting a pattern of dishonesty that undermines trust and often involves a degree of cunning or artifice in the fabrication of falsehoods. It paints a picture of someone whose words cannot be relied upon as being truthful. It can be used to describe an individual's character, the nature of their statements, or even entire systems built on lies.

Mendacious meaning with examples

• The politician's mendacious campaign promises, later revealed as empty rhetoric, cost him the election. His constituents lost trust due to the repeated fabrication of facts and statistics. They were misled by the deliberately crafted deception. The news of his dishonesty spread rapidly, costing him any chance of redemption.
• The detective, suspicious of the witness's testimony, felt he was being fed a mendacious account of the events. His carefully chosen words and evasive answers showed a desire to conceal the truth. Every attempt to get to the real story just led to more deliberate lies. The inconsistencies in his story were so abundant.
• The marketing campaign was built on mendacious claims about the product's effectiveness. The exaggerated benefits, combined with fabricated endorsements, successfully tricked consumers. Ultimately, they learned the truth as word of the fraud began to spread and they all faced the disappointment when their promises were not delivered.
• Her mendacious nature made it difficult for her friends to trust her. Her constant lies and fabrication of stories alienated her from those she cared about. Eventually, the web of deceit became too tangled for her to manage and she was alone. Nobody will believe the mendacious stories she tells.