1.
tall tale; big lie; whopper; outrageous boast
An exaggerated or wildly untrue story or claim. Stronger than ほら (exaggeration), emphasizing that the lie or boast is particularly outrageous.
An intensified form of ほら (exaggeration, tall tale). The 大 prefix emphasizes that the boast or lie is particularly outrageous or unbelievable.
Common collocations
- 大ぼらを吹く: to tell a big lie, to boast outrageously
- 大ぼら吹き: a big liar, a braggart
- 大ぼらを言う: to say something wildly exaggerated
Similar words
- ほら: tall tale, bluff — the base form; a milder degree of exaggeration
- ほら吹き: braggart, liar — someone who habitually exaggerates
- 嘘: lie — more general and neutral; can be serious or trivial
- 大嘘: big lie — similar intensity but more directly accusatory; ほら/ぼら has a more humorous, storytelling nuance
Etymology
ほら comes from 法螺 (conch shell trumpet), which was blown to make grand, booming sounds. The metaphor extends to making grandiose claims that are mostly noise.