1.
truthfulness; ring of truth; verisimilitude; sense of realism
The quality of seeming true or believable. The degree to which something feels authentic or credible.
真実味のある話だ。
It's a story with a ring of truth.
その噂には真実味がない。
That rumor lacks credibility.
彼の証言は具体的で真実味があり、裁判官も信用したようだ。
His testimony was specific and had a ring of truth, and the judge seemed to believe it.
Composed of 真実 (truth) + 味 (flavor, sense of). The 味 suffix adds the meaning of 'a sense of' or 'a quality of,' so 真実味 means 'a quality of truthfulness.' It describes how believable or authentic something feels, not necessarily whether it is actually true.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 真実味がある: to have a ring of truth; to seem believable
- 真実味がない: to lack credibility
- 真実味を帯びる: to take on an air of truth
- 真実味に欠ける: to lack realism
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 信憑性: credibility — more formal and objective; 真実味 is about the subjective impression of truthfulness
- 現実味: sense of reality — focuses on whether something feels realistic or plausible; 真実味 focuses on whether something feels true
- 説得力: persuasiveness — about the power to convince; 真実味 is about the appearance of truth