liar
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of liar
before 950; Middle English lier, Old English lēogere. See lie 1, -ar 1
Explanation
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.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Boy's A Liar singer PinkPantheress and rapper Skepta have also received multiple nominations, as well as newcomers Kwn and Jim Legxacy.
From BBC • Jan. 28, 2026
Carolina Liar collaborated with Martin on two albums, yielding songs that appeared in popular shows like “The Hills” and “One Tree Hill.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025
Raye and PinkPantheress will go up against Little Simz for best female, and they're also in the running for song of the year with Escapism and Boy's A Liar Pt 2.
From BBC • Dec. 14, 2023
The dream team of Bronx rapper Ice Spice and hyperpop-punk hero PinkPantheress made “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” an examination of modern dating with an undeniable hook.
From Seattle Times • Dec. 4, 2023
Four star-shaped scars on the left cheek: Liar.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
