mythomania

American  

[mith-uh-mey-nee-uh] / ˌmɪθ əˈmeɪ ni ə /

noun

Psychiatry.

1. lying or exaggerating to an abnormal degree.

---

mythomania British  

/ ˌmɪθəʊˈmeɪnɪˌæk, ˌmɪθəʊˈmeɪnɪə /

noun

1. psychiatry the tendency to lie, exaggerate, or relate incredible imaginary adventures as if they had really happened, occurring in some mental disorders

---

Other Word Forms

• mythomaniac noun

Etymology

Origin of mythomania

First recorded in 1905–10; mytho- + -mania

Explanation

Everybody lies or exaggerates at least occasionally, but a person who suffers from mythomania lies and exaggerates to an extent that is abnormal and beyond their control. If they don't get help, everybody soon just stops believing them. Mythomania is made up of the combining forms mytho-, meaning "myth," and -mania. Mania refers to various kinds of mental illness, often involving an abnormal amount of talk or activity, poor judgment, and difficulty separating reality from unreality. Not all myths are lies, but a myth is a story about things that did not or could not have actually happened as told. A person with mythomania has a mental illness in which they habitually tell untrue stories as if they were true.

Example Sentences

What interests her is the manufactured drama of world-historical strongmen—their mannerisms, speech patterns, stagecraft, and mythomania.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 4, 2016

It is only one lamentable aftereffect of the ’60s that they cast their paisley mythomania on all related topics, not least upon the demographic journey of the baby boomers.

From Slate • May 1, 2016

As for the mythomania: it seems that, basically, you just gotta love it.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 16, 2015

Like all wannabes, she suffered from mythomania, and fancied she had relatives in heaven.

From The Guardian • Jan. 2, 2011

Jenny Flick suffers so badly from mythomania, she believes her own lies.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King