pathological liar

[ path-uh-loj-i-kuhl lahy-er ]

noun

1. a person who tells lies frequently, with no rational motive for doing so.

Word History and Origins

Origin of pathological liar¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

He's already a convicted felon, a fraudster, a sexual assaulter, a proven pathological liar who stole classified documents and refused to give them back so it's hard to imagine what that might be.

From Salon

Here’s a pathological liar who speaks falsely about practically everything.

From Los Angeles Times

Walz described himself as a guy "telling a story, getting a date wrong", rather than a "pathological liar" like Trump.

From BBC

Perhaps it was inevitable that a celebrity demagogue and pathological liar would take the mantle of "history's actor" and turn it into political World Wide Wrestling but the consequences of this little experiment are dire.

From Salon

Someone replying to Wolf’s tweet claimed that Harris’ body language—particularly the way she swallows—is indicative of a pathological liar, which is the sort of nut-job psychology we’ve all become accustomed to.

From Slate