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liar

/ˈlaɪər/
/ˈlaɪə/
IPA guide

Other forms: liars

A liar is someone who doesn't tell the truth. A liar tells lies.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire," a phrase of unknown origin, is a children's jump-rope rhyme also used as a playground taunt. Adults, and especially political commentators, have also been known to use the phrase or part of it as a particularly demeaning insult aimed at politicians who make outrageous claims that can't possibly be true. Notice that liar ends in -ar, not -er, as you might expect.

Definitions of liar
  1. noun
    a person who has lied or who lies repeatedly
    synonyms: prevaricator
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    square shooter
    a frank and honest person
    examples:
    Ananias
    a habitual liar (after a New Testament character who was struck dead for lying)
    types:
    false witness, perjurer
    a person who deliberately gives false testimony
    fabricator, fibber, storyteller
    someone who tells lies
    type of:
    beguiler, cheat, cheater, deceiver, slicker, trickster
    someone who leads you to believe something that is not true
Pronunciation
US
/ˈlaɪər/
UK
/ˈlaɪə/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘liar'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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