ほら吹(ふ)き

ほらふき
noun
boaster; teller of tall tales
informalpersonalitycommunication
1. boaster; braggart; teller of tall tales
A person who habitually exaggerates or tells grand lies. The tone is often playful or critical rather than accusatory.
あいつはほら吹(ふ)きだ。
That guy is a braggart.
彼(かれ)の話(はなし)は面白(おもしろ)いけど、ほら吹(ふ)きだから信(しん)じない方(ほう)がいい。
His stories are interesting, but he's a teller of tall tales so you'd better not believe them.
子(こ)どもの頃(ころ)、「ほら吹(ふ)き男爵(だんしゃく)」という物語(ものがたり)が大好(だいす)きだった。
When I was a child, I loved the story of Baron Munchausen.

Usage

Derived from ほらを吹(ふ)く (to blow a conch shell horn → to boast/brag). The word ほら originally referred to the conch shell (法螺(ほら)) blown by mountain monks. The image of making a big loud noise evolved into meaning exaggeration and boasting.

Common collocations

Related Words

Compare: 大(おお)ぼら (tall tale)
general
Added 2026.3.19 15:58 · Revised 2026.9.9 0:23
17500/17863_horafuki