虚言(きょげん)

A formal, literary word for lying. Composed of 虚(きょ) (empty, false) + 言(げん) (words, speech). More severe in tone than the everyday word 嘘(うそ).

Common collocations

• 虚言(きょげん)を弄(ろう)する: to utter falsehoods (formal)
• 虚言(きょげん)癖(へき): a habit of lying; pathological lying
• 虚言(きょげん)症(しょう): mythomania, pathological lying (clinical term)
• 虚言(きょげん)を吐(は)く: to tell lies

Similar words

• 嘘(うそ): lie — the standard everyday word; used in all registers from casual to formal
• 偽(いつわ)り: falsehood, deception — literary; implies deliberate deception with a broader scope than just words
• 虚偽(きょぎ): falsehood, untruth — formal/legal; often used for false documents or statements (虚偽(きょぎ)申告(しんこく): false declaration)

Usage

Do not confuse with the homophone 狂言(きょうげん), which refers to a traditional Japanese comedic theater form. The readings are close but the pitch accent and kanji are different.