fibster
Noun: A person who tells a fib, i.e., a small or trivial lie. A fibster is someone who habitually tells minor falsehoods, often to avoid embarrassment or to make a story more interesting, rather than to cause serious harm.
- (He told a small lie about the cookies.)
- (Don't tell a minor lie; confess the truth.)
- (His habit of telling small lies made people doubt him.)
"To be a fibster about something": to habitually tell small lies regarding a specific topic.
- She is a fibster about her age, always subtracting a few years. (She regularly tells minor lies about how old she is.)
"Fibster's tale": a story that contains trivial falsehoods, often told for amusement or to avoid a direct answer.
- His fibster's tale about catching a fish as big as a boat was clearly exaggerated. (The story had obvious, harmless lies.)
Fib (n): a small, trivial lie.
- He told a fib about finishing his chores. (A minor untruth.)
Fibbing (adj/gerund): the act of telling a fib.
- Stop fibbing and tell me the real reason you were late. (Stop telling small lies.)
Fibbery (n, rare): the practice of telling fibs.
- His constant fibbery annoyed his friends. (His habit of telling minor lies.)
Liar: a person who tells lies (often used for more serious falsehoods).
- He is a liar, not just a fibster, because he deceived everyone about the money. (A liar tells larger, more harmful lies.)
Storyteller (informal): someone who exaggerates or invents stories, often in a playful way.
- She is a great storyteller, but sometimes she becomes a fibster when she adds false details. (A storyteller may embellish, but a fibster intentionally lies.)
Prevaricator: a formal term for someone who avoids telling the truth.
- The politician was a prevaricator, but the child was merely a fibster. (A prevaricator evades truth; a fibster tells small lies.)
"To tell a white lie": to tell a harmless or trivial lie, often to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
- She told a white lie about liking the gift, but she's not a fibster — she only does it to be kind. (A white lie is a specific kind of fib, but a fibster tells them habitually.)
"A little bird told me": a playful way to avoid revealing the source of information, sometimes used by a fibster.
- "A little bird told me you were late," he said, acting like a fibster. (Using a vague excuse to hide a small lie.)