Meaning & use
fibbing
Last updated
“fibbing” is a form of “fib”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitiveinformal
Telling small, harmless lies, usually about unimportant things.
Grammar: Intransitive: you fib about something, not fib something. The -ing form is often used after 'be'.
Patterns
- fib about something
- be fibbing
He was fibbing about his age to impress her.
Stop fibbing and tell me the truth.
She's always fibbing about how much she paid for things.
Word forms
| third person singular | fibs |
|---|---|
| past tense | fibbed |
| past participle | fibbed |
| -ing form | fibbing |
Common combinations
- fib about something
- He fibbed about his qualifications on the application.
- stop fibbing
- Stop fibbing and tell me where you really were.
- little fib
- Telling a little fib now and then is common.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lying
- A stronger word for any false statement, not just a small one.
- stretching the truth
- An idiom meaning exaggerating or not being completely honest.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: fibbing or fiber?
fibbing vs fiber
Fiber is a thread or dietary material; fibbing is telling small lies. They sound similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
Fib is intransitive and takes 'about' before the topic: fib about something. The other prepositions do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fibbing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.