What does fibster mean?
A fibster is a person who tells fibs — small, relatively harmless lies, often told to avoid embarrassment, spare feelings, or embellish a story. The word is formed from the verb "fib," which emerged in English during the seventeenth century, possibly from the reduplicated phrase "fibble-fable," meaning idle or fanciful talk. Informal and gently humorous in register, "fibster" suggests a mischievous rather than malicious character; it is the sort of label applied to children denying they ate the last biscuit, or to a friend whose fishing stories grow longer each year. It is considerably rarer than its close synonym "fibber," giving it a slightly quaint, old-fashioned flavour when used today. Because both "fib" and "fibster" imply trivial falsehoods, neither should be used of serious deceit — for that, words like "liar" or "perjurer" carry the necessary gravity. The word endures as a charming way to call out everyday dishonesty without real accusation.
nounA person who tells fibs; someone who habitually tells small, trivial lies.
- A person who tells fibs; a teller of small, harmless-seeming lies.
"Don't believe a word he says about the fishing trip — everyone knows he's a hopeless fibster."
"My little brother is such a fibster that nobody believed his story about the missing biscuits."
"The columnist called the politician a charming fibster who never quite let facts spoil a good anecdote."
Standard plural, formed by adding -s.
"The playground was full of fibsters claiming they'd finished their homework."
'Fibster' likely grew out of the old reduplicated phrase 'fibble-fable,' an Elizabethan-era way of saying silly tall tales — proof that even the word for little lies sounds like it's telling you one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fibster
"Fibster" derives from "fib," a verb meaning to tell a petty lie, first attested in the early seventeenth century. The origin of "fib" itself is uncertain, but a commonly suggested source is the reduplicated phrase "fibble-fable," used around the same period for trifling or fanciful tales. The agentive suffix "-ster" (as in "trickster") was added to denote a person who does the thing. Its closest relatives are simply "fib" and "fibber" within English, rather than cognates in other languages.
How fibster is actually used
"Fibster" is informal and somewhat old-fashioned or whimsical in tone; "fibber" is far more common in everyday speech. Like "fib," it carries a mild, almost affectionate connotation and would rarely be used for serious or harmful deception.
Easily confused with fibster
A fibber is simply someone who tells fibs, while a fibster means the same thing but is a rarer, more playful variant of the word.
Despite the similar spelling, 'fist' refers to a closed hand and has no connection to lying.