# Verb for telling the truth **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 2, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241 "2007-07-02T16:28:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![carlospc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@carlospc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlospc)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/1 "2007-07-02T16:28:00Z")
Hi, We all know that there is a verb for telling a lie. But what is the verb for telling the truth? If there is none then why there is none? My mother language is Spanish. In Spanish there is also a verb for telling a lie (“mentir”) but there is no verb for telling the truth. Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![matt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@matt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/2 "2007-07-02T16:58:45Z")
Interesting question. We have to **attest** and to **aver** , but these both mean “to _allege_ as fact”. We do have the adverb “truthfully”. Compare: **"I paid already," he lied.** Explicitly untrue. **"I paid already," he said.** Could be true or untrue. **I paid already," he said truthfully.** Explicitly true. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/3 "2007-07-02T17:45:27Z")
I suppose “to verify” might do it? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/4 "2007-07-02T17:51:30Z")
[QUOTE=Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking] These boots are made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll do one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you. **You keep lying, when you oughta be truthin’** and you keep losin’ when you oughta not bet. You keep samin’ when you oughta be changin’. Now what’s right is right, but you ain’t been right yet. [/QUOTE] There appears to be a verb to truth 😃 . ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/5 "2007-07-02T17:54:17Z")
Merriam-Webster offers only the following as “near antonyms” for the verb “lie”: **assert, swear, testify; authenticate, confirm, substantiate, validate, verify** There are no direct opposites, apparently. Clearly, the Straight Dope needs to generate such a verb. I propose “to washington” in honor of our cherry-tree-chopping president. Any others? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/6 "2007-07-02T19:01:21Z")
[QUOTE=carlospc] We all know that there is a verb for telling a lie. But what is the verb for telling the truth? If there is none then why there is none? [/QUOTE] It requires a verb _phrase_, which isn’t at all unusual in English. The opposite of “he lied about it” is “he told the truth about it”. See [Dictionary.Com](http://Dictionary.Com) for [tell the truth](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tell%20the%20truth) ---
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/7 "2007-07-02T19:07:27Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] It requires a verb _phrase_, which isn’t at all unusual in English. The opposite of “he lied about it” is “he told the truth about it”. See [Dictionary.Com](http://Dictionary.Com) for [tell the truth](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tell%20the%20truth) [/QUOTE] He lied. He \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/8 "2007-07-02T19:36:59Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] He lied. He \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? [/QUOTE] Thruthinessized. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/9 "2007-07-02T19:43:44Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] He lied. He \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? [/QUOTE] coultered? Oh, sorry. You want an _antonym_. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/10 "2007-07-02T20:10:13Z")
[QUOTE=fisha] He lied. He \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_? [/QUOTE] He told the truth. As **Liberal** said, you need a verb phrase because there is no single verb. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/11 "2007-07-02T20:14:24Z")
I will follow Stephen Colbert’s lead, and suggest _truthicate_. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/12 "2007-07-02T20:18:39Z")
The opposite of prevaricate would be postvaricate. No? ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/13 "2007-07-02T20:19:11Z")
He didn’t lie, he obfuscated. He Lied. He !lied. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/14 "2007-07-02T20:21:24Z")
Is there a single word for telling the truth in _any_ language? I’d wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t. Isn’t the default state “truth” and we only need a special verb to indicate a deviation? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/15 "2007-07-02T20:44:48Z")
_“Truthin’” \* As Nancy Sinatra sang it "You’ve been lyin’ when you outta been_ truthin’\*" From _These Boots Were Made For Walkin’_ ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/16 "2007-07-02T22:45:17Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] Is there a single word for telling the truth in _any_ language? I’d wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t. Isn’t the default state “truth” and we only need a special verb to indicate a deviation? [/QUOTE] I can’t think of any in spanish, right now. There are translations to all the words mentioned so far, but none of the is really “truthicate”. “aseverar” means “to state as truth”. That makes it closer to assert than anything else, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/17 "2007-07-02T23:00:13Z")
Candidly, forthrightly, honestly, etc., could be used to modify/clarify a verb of your choice. i.e: " He candidly stated … ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/18 "2007-07-02T23:07:59Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] Is there a single word for telling the truth in _any_ language? I’d wouldn’t be surprised if there wasn’t. Isn’t the default state “truth” and we only need a special verb to indicate a deviation? [/QUOTE] Interesting. There seem to be no good opposites for “cheat” either. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/19 "2007-07-02T23:35:55Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] Interesting. There seem to be no good opposites for “cheat” either. [/QUOTE] I think you are on to something; what is the opposite of “steal”? ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241/20 "2007-07-02T23:49:18Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] I think you are on to something; what is the opposite of “steal”? [/QUOTE] When you think about it, there’s no concept that is _the_ opposite of “steal”. However, “purchase”, “return”, and “accept” can all be antonyms in certain circumstances. He stole the book. He purchased the book. He stole the lawnmower. He returned the lawnmower. He stole the present from his great aunt Ruth. He accepted the present from his great aunt Ruth. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/verb-for-telling-the-truth/410241.md?page=2)