What does concocted mean?
Concocted is the past tense and past participle of the verb concoct, which has two principal meanings. The older sense refers to preparing something by combining ingredients — a meal, a drink, a remedy — as in a potion concocted from herbs. Far more common today is the figurative sense: to have devised or fabricated something, typically a story, excuse, alibi, or scheme. When used this way, the word carries strong connotations of invention and often deceit, suggesting that whatever was produced was artfully assembled rather than genuine — one might say someone concocted an elaborate cover story. The verb derives from Latin concoquere, meaning 'to cook together' or 'to digest,' from con- ('together') and coquere ('to cook'), making it a direct relative of words like cook and decoct. Because of that culinary ancestry, English speakers naturally pair the idea of fabricating with phrases like 'cooked up.' Concocted is standard in both British and American English and appears in everyday speech as well as journalism and fiction, usually wherever ingenuity shades into fabrication.
verb (past simple and past participle of concoct)Past tense and past participle of concoct: to make or prepare something, especially a dish or drink, by mixing ingredients; or to invent or devise a story, plan, or excuse, often one that is elaborate or deceitful.
- Invented or devised a story, excuse, plan, or scheme, especially with connotations of fabrication or trickery.
- Prepared or made something by mixing ingredients, such as a dish, drink, or potion.
"She concocted an elaborate excuse for missing the meeting."
"The children concocted a wild tale about a dragon living in the garden shed."
"In her tiny kitchen, she concocted a soup from whatever leftovers she could find."
When you concoct something, you're literally cooking it up — the word comes straight from the Latin for 'to cook together,' which is why we still say we 'cooked up' a story.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of concocted
Concocted comes from Latin concoctus, the past participle of concoquere, formed from con- ('together') plus coquere ('to cook'), so its original sense was 'cooked together' or 'digested.' The word entered English in the early 16th century, initially carrying both culinary and physiological senses relating to digestion, before developing its now-dominant figurative sense of inventing or fabricating stories and plans. It shares its root coquere with English words such as cook, decoct, and confection.
Related word forms
How concocted is actually used
As the past form of concoct, it carries two main registers: neutral-to-pleasant when describing cooking or mixing drinks, and distinctly negative when describing fabricated stories or schemes, where it implies dishonesty or contrivance. The figurative sense is more common in modern usage than the literal culinary sense.
Easily confused with concocted
Conducted means led or carried out (an activity, meeting, or investigation), whereas concocted means invented or mixed together something, often with a hint of deception.