Basic Details
Word: Truthful
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Always telling the truth, or containing the truth; honest.
Synonyms: honest, sincere, frank
Antonyms: dishonest, lying, untruthful
How to Spell Truthful
Syllables: truth - ful
Tricky part: The suffix -ful has only one l, even though full has two. The e of true does not appear: the word is built on truth.
Watch out for: truthfull, trutful, truethful
Memory tip: The suffix is a short cousin of full: full of truth, but only one l. Hopeful, careful and truthful all end the same way.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The witness gave a truthful account of what happened at the crossing.
Example 2: Be truthful with your doctor about how much you sleep.
Example 3: My little brother was truthful and owned up to breaking the vase.
Fun Fact
India's national motto, Satyameva Jayate, means truth alone triumphs. It comes from the Mundaka Upanishad and appears below the national emblem.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
truthfull
a) t
b) h
c) l
d) u
Show answer
c) l. As a suffix, full gives up one of its l's, as in hopeful and careful.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word truthful as used in the sentence:
The class monitor gave a truthful report of who had left the room.
a) sincere
b) honest
c) dishonest
d) accurate
Show answer
c) dishonest. Honest, sincere and accurate all agree with truthful; a dishonest report would hide the facts.
Word Makeup
Only one of these words takes the suffix -ful to make a real word. Choose it:
-ful: truth / honest / sincere / genuine
a) truth
b) genuine
c) honest
d) sincere
Show answer
a) truth. Truthful is a real word; the other three are already adjectives and cannot take -ful.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A truthful witness ____.
a) speaks as little as possible
b) says what really happened
c) makes the judge laugh
d) hides the important part
Show answer
b) says what really happened
2. Which saying praises being truthful?
a) Look before you leap.
b) Haste makes waste.
c) Too many cooks spoil the broth.
d) Honesty is the best policy.
Show answer
d) Honesty is the best policy.
