palter
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to talk or act insincerely or deceitfully; lie or use trickery.
-
to bargain with; haggle.
-
to act carelessly; trifle.
verb
-
to act or talk insincerely
-
to haggle
Other Word Forms
- palterer noun
Etymology
Origin of palter
1530–40 in sense “to speak indistinctly,” perhaps alteration of falter in same sense, with p- from palsy 1
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.
You can equivocate, or dissemble, or palter, or mislead, or prevaricate, or fib, or perjure.
From Washington Post
Their research found that people doing the misleading think paltering is less wrong than telling an outright lie.
From Los Angeles Times
But if you say "I drove it yesterday in 10-below temperatures and it drove well," even if you know it's been to the shop twice in the past month, that's paltering.
From Washington Post
Rogers says the findings can also serve as a reminder, to everyone, to watch out for those who may try to use paltering against them.
From Time
He began his profitable paltering with America’s past with “Killing Lincoln.”
From Washington Post
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.
