Synonyms

fish story

American

noun

Informal.

an exaggerated or incredible story.

It was just another one of his fish stories.

fish story Idioms

An improbable, boastful tale, as in He came up with some fish story about his winnings at the track. This expression alludes to the tendency of fishermen to exaggerate the size of their catch. [Early 1800s]

Etymology

Origin of fish story

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20

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.

"The point of the fish story is merely that the most obvious, important realities are often the ones that are hardest to see and talk about," Wallace noted.

From BBC • Jul. 5, 2023

The production reminds us of this when dancers wielding IV bags emerge during his fish story.

From New York Times • May 6, 2022

Johnson has a fish story, and it’s about him.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2021

So this tale about a bird also became a big fish story.

From Golf Digest • Mar. 27, 2020

Brinsley's fish story was a poem written by one of the Old Gentlemen, hunting now, it was to be hoped, in happier fields.

From Mistress Anne by Wilson, F. Vaux (Francis Vaux)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023