intransitive verb
lie, prevaricate, equivocate, palter, fib mean to tell an untruth.
lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty.
prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue.
equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another.
palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises.
fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth.
origin unknown
1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Palter, Dissemble, and Other Words for...
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palta
palter
palterly
“Palter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palter. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.
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