palter

verb

pal·​ter ˈpȯl-tər 

paltered; paltering ˈpȯl-t(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to act insincerely or deceitfully : equivocate

2

: haggle, chaffer

palterer

ˈpȯl-tər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• bargain
• chaffer
• deal
• dicker
• haggle
• horse-trade
• negotiate

Choose the Right Synonym for palter

lie, prevaricate, equivocate, palter, fib mean to tell an untruth.

lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty.

lied about where he had been

prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue.

during the hearings the witness did his best to prevaricate

equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another.

equivocated endlessly in an attempt to mislead her inquisitors

palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises.

a swindler paltering with his investors

fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth.

fibbed about the price of the new suit

Examples of palter in a Sentence

unwilling to palter over the price of the car

Recent Examples on the Web

Rather than wait to share the witches’ paltering pronouncements with Lady M (Indira Varma) in person, the thane of Glamis chooses to send word to his wife in advance of his return from battle. —Rhoda Feng, Washington Post, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

palter

verb

pal·​ter ˈpȯl-tər 

paltered; paltering -t(ə)riŋ 

1

: to act or speak insincerely

2

: haggle, bargain

palterer

-tər-ər 

noun