Types of Lies People Tell

Lying is the act of speaking or writing something that is not true. In most cases, a lie is told to deceive, mislead, misinform, or to impress in some way. The person who tells lies is known as a liar.

Types of Lies in Alphabetical Order

Affirmation lies are lies that are affirmed to be true when they are not. In other words, facts are made up. This is the opposite of denial lies.

A barefaced, or bald-faced lie, is one that people make with the specific purpose to deceive hearers.

A big lie is one that attempts to trick people into believing something major. It is an untruth on such a grand scale that it is intended to deceive more than one person at a time.

Bluffing is lying that a person does to pretend to have a capability he does not possess. Bluffing is acceptable behavior in poker and other card games.

The terms "bull" or "BS" are used in response to a statement that could be true or false. Usually, bull or BS lies are considered to be foolish talk.

A butler lie is one that is told when people want to avoid others. Telling your secretary to say you are at lunch or in a meeting when you are not is a butler lie. The liar doesn't come face-to-face with the recipient of the lie.

Compulsive lies are those deceptions that are told repeatedly over and over again.

A cover-up lie may be used to deny or defend a lie, errors, or embarrassing actions that have been made previously.

Defamation is a false statement that harms the reputation of a person, organization, or nation.

Denial lie is a truth that someone denies something happened when it did. This is the opposite of an affirmation lie.

Disinformation is deliberately giving false information in a calculated way to deceive target audiences.

Exaggeration occurs when a statement is true only to a certain degree. Then the liar adds an untruth to it.

Fake news is a type of journalism that consists of deliberate misinformation or hoaxes in the media. President Donald Trump often refers to something being "fake news."

A fib is a lie about a trivial matter. For instance, a child may tell a fib by claiming he didn't take a cookie from the jar even though there is evidence that he did.

A half-truth is a statement that includes some truth. Half-truths are meant to deceive, blame, or misrepresent the whole truth.

A hyperbole is an exaggerated truth to prove a point. It should not be understood literally. For instance, "I have told you a million times to take the trash out."

Instrumental lies or deliberate lies are those told with an intentional objective.

The Jocose lie is used in storytelling to amuse listeners. The person telling the story should make it clear that it is a story and should not be taken literally because it might damage someone's reputation.

Magnifying lies are untruths told to be bigger and better, such as what is put on a resume or said in a job interview.

Minimization is the opposite of exaggeration and minimization. Deception occurs when people reduce the importance of something.

A noble lie is a strategic untruth told to prevent discord if something were uncovered. It is often told to maintain law, order, and safety.

Lying by omission is leaving out key facts when telling something.

Pathological lying is also called compulsive lying. It is the behavior of a person who constantly lies for no apparent reason. The liar may or may not be aware that he is lying because he has done it so often.

Perjury is the act of making false statements while under oath in a court. Perjury is a crime, and the person who commits it could be punished.

Plagiarism is the act of copying another person’s work and passing it off as one's own. This intentional lie is stealing.

Poetic license is the freedom to stretch the truth when speaking or writing to create a dramatic effect. Usually, there is a disclaimer in movie credits that names, characters, and some facts have been changed.

A polite lie an untruth to get out of something gracefully. An example involves etiquette when a person declines an invitation and tells a lie to the host by saying he has a scheduling conflict, even though he doesn't.

Puffery is an exaggerated claim found in advertising, such as "the best quality in the world" or "experts stand behind this product." Puffery is false praise. Therefore, no trade laws are violated.

Restructuring lies happen when the context is changed to allow the listeners to interpret it in their own way. These lies are common both in politics and on social networks.

Self-deception is the act of lying to oneself with exaggeration and minimization. An example of self-deception is that smokers might tell themselves that “it really isn’t as bad as they say.”

"Speaking with a forked tongue" is a phrase that describes the speech of a person when he deliberately says one thing and means another.

Stretching the truth is an exaggeration that occurs when a statement is only partially true, but the speaker makes it appear greater or more meaningful than it really is.

Lying by submission is the opposite of lying by omission. It is when a lie is submitted without a reason for it.

A trade lie occurs when the seller advertises a product or service with false information to increase sales.

A weasel word is an informal term for words and phrases that give the impression that a vague statement is meaningful. If the statement is challenged, the specific meaning could be denied.

Lies According to Colors

A black lie is defined as a lie where the liar benefits by deceiving someone.

A blue lie is a combination of a white lie and a black lie intended to help one group of people while damaging another group through deceit.

A white lie is described as a minor lie that could be considered harmless because it is told to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Liars claim they tell white lies for the greater good. For instance, if a wife asks her husband, "Does this dress make me look fat?" Even though it does, the husband might say, "No, Dear. You look skinny in that dress."

Other Articles About Lying

• Lies Men Tell Women
• Lies Women Tell Men
• 10 Ways to Tell When Someone Is Lying to You