mindmap root((说谎)) lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty to the speaker: to ~ under oath is a serious crime. （blunt两个意思 1、钝的without a sharp edge or point，如a blunt knife钝刀子，如the police said he had been hit with a blunt instrument警方说他遭到了钝器袭击 2、直言不讳saying exactly what you think without trying to be polite，如she has a reputation for blunt speaking她说话出了名的直截了当，如to be blunt, your work is appalling直言不讳地说，你干的活糟透了，如she is blunt about her personal life她对自己的个人生活直言不讳） prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying a quibbling or an evading or confusing of the issue: during the hearings the witness did his best to ~. equivocate implies the using of ambiguous words in an attempt to mislead or deceive: ~d, dodged questions, and generally misled her inquisitors. palter implies the making of unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises: a cad ~ing with a naive, young girl. fib applies to the telling of a trivial untruth: ~bed about the price of the suit.