What does fibber mean?
A fibber is a person who tells fibs — small, inconsequential lies told without malicious intent. The word belongs to the informal end of the English vocabulary and is generally used in a lighthearted or indulgent way, especially when describing children who embellish the truth about a broken toy or an unfinished chore. Because a fib is understood as a trivial falsehood, calling someone a fibber signals mild disapproval or affectionate exasperation rather than moral condemnation; the harsher word 'liar' implies serious dishonesty, while 'fibber' does not. The noun derives directly from the verb 'fib', meaning to tell such a lie, which appeared in English in the seventeenth century. In everyday speech, fibber turns up most often in family conversation, comedy, and writing about childhood, where its gentle sting makes it a useful alternative to more accusatory terms.
nounA person who tells fibs; someone who tells small, relatively harmless lies.
- A person who tells minor or trivial lies; an informal term for a small-time liar.
"Everyone knew Tommy was a fibber — his stories about meeting celebrities never held up."
"My little sister was such a fibber that nobody believed her story about the broken vase."
"He admitted with a laugh that he'd been a bit of a fibber in his youth, exaggerating every tale for effect."
Standard plural; regularly formed.
"The playground was full of fibbers claiming they'd scored the winning goal."
It's the gentlest insult in the liar family — a fibber bends the truth without quite breaking it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fibber
Fibber derives from the verb 'fib', meaning to tell a petty lie, which emerged in English around the seventeenth century. The verb's origin is uncertain, but it is often connected to 'fibble-fable', a reduplicated form associated with idle tales and nonsense. From 'fib' came the agent noun 'fibber', along with the inflected forms 'fibbed' and 'fibbing'.
Related word forms
How fibber is actually used
Fibber is informal and carries a mild, often affectionate or teasing connotation — it suggests untruthfulness of a trivial, forgivable kind rather than serious deceit. It is far less damning than 'liar' and is frequently used about children or in playful contexts.
Easily confused with fibber
A fiber is a thread or filament (as in fabric or diet), while a fibber is a person who tells small lies.