barefaced lie

noun

A falsehood told with utter confidence and without trying to conceal the fact that it is false, especially a planned or deliberate falsehood.

“I understand that salespeople try to explain things in a positive way, but that was a barefaced lie.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounbarefaced lie (plural barefaced lies)

plural barefaced lies · alternative baldfaced lie · alternative boldfaced lie

  1. A falsehood told with utter confidence and without trying to conceal the fact that it is false, especially a planned or deliberate falsehood.

    I understand that salespeople try to explain things in a positive way, but that was a barefaced lie.

Origin

From barefaced (“unconcealed, audacious, shameless”) + lie.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Icelandic haugalygi, ljúga upp í opið geðið á einhverjum
  • haugalygifalsehood told with utter confidence without trying to conceal the fact that it is false
  • ljúga upp í opið geðið á einhverjumfalsehood told with utter confidence without trying to conceal the fact that it is false
Polish wierutne kłamstwo
  • wierutne kłamstwofalsehood told with utter confidence without trying to conceal the fact that it is false
Cite this entry
APA

barefaced lie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barefaced%20lie

MLA

“barefaced lie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barefaced%20lie. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “barefaced lie,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barefaced%20lie.

Source: barefaced lie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.