fib

[fib]

See more synonyms for fib on Thesaurus.com

noun

a small or trivial lie; minor falsehood.

verb (used without object), fibbed, fib·bing.

to tell a fib.

Origin of fib

1560–70; short for fibble-fable nonsense, gradational compound based on fable

Related formsfib·ber, fib·ster, nounun·fib·bing, adjective

Synonym study

1. See falsehood.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for fibbing

Contemporary Examples

If the Times or Abramson, or both, is fibbing here, the credibility of the newspaper of record is now suspect.
Can We Trust The New York Times After the Abramson Debacle?
Joe Concha
May 19, 2014
“They were all adults, at least to the best of my knowledge… Some could have theoretically been fibbing about it,” he said.
Six Most Awkward Moments From Anthony Weiner's Press Conference
The Daily Beast Video
June 6, 2011

Historical Examples

The only time women do at all well in fibbing is to each other.
The Gorgeous Girl
Nalbro Bartley
And that was uttered in such a way as to declare that Mrs. Western had been fibbing.
Kept in the Dark
Anthony Trollope
Caroline was fibbing—or, at least, partly so—but Rose had no way of knowing that.
Billie Bradley at Three Towers Hall
Janet D. Wheeler
As Marjory was not in the habit of fibbing, she didn't know what to say.
The Castaways of Pete's Patch
Carroll Watson Rankin
I have no idea of going to the ball, and you would be the belle, if you were to attend; so there was no fibbing, was there?
Alone
Marion Harland

British Dictionary definitions for fibbing

fib

noun

a trivial and harmless lie

verb fibs, fibbing or fibbed

(intr) to tell such a lie

Derived Formsfibber, noun

Word Origin

C17: perhaps from fibble-fable an unlikely story; see fable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for fibbing

fib

v.

1680s, from fib (n.). Related: Fibbed; fibbing.

fib

n.

1610s, of uncertain origin, perhaps from fibble-fable "nonsense" (1580s), a reduplication of fable.

fib

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Synonym study

Examples from the Web for fibbing

Contemporary Examples

If the Times or Abramson, or both, is fibbing here, the credibility of the newspaper of record is now suspect.

“They were all adults, at least to the best of my knowledge… Some could have theoretically been fibbing about it,” he said.

Historical Examples

The only time women do at all well in fibbing is to each other.

And that was uttered in such a way as to declare that Mrs. Western had been fibbing.

Caroline was fibbing—or, at least, partly so—but Rose had no way of knowing that.

As Marjory was not in the habit of fibbing, she didn't know what to say.

I have no idea of going to the ball, and you would be the belle, if you were to attend; so there was no fibbing, was there?

fib

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for fibbing

fib

v.

fib

n.

Origin of fib