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menzogna

lie, falsehood

noun men-TSOH-nyah Rare

Origin: From Latin mentio with pejorative suffix; related to mentire, 'to lie'.

Usage Note

Menzogna is a formal or literary word for a lie, stronger in register than bugia ('fib', everyday speech). Smascherare una menzogna means to expose a lie. Writers and journalists favour menzogna to give weight to an accusation of deceit.

Examples

"Le sue parole erano piene di menzogna."

Natural Translation

His words were full of falsehood.

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