How to Tell when Your Friend Is Lying

Co-authored by Allison Broennimann, PhD

Last Updated: July 19, 2024

It can be frustrating to listen to a friend blabber on about something really far fetched and wonder whether or not they're lying. Everyone has amazing experiences, but sometimes your friends say things that are so out there and you know they're not true, but you just don't have proof. This article will help you be able to tell when a friend is lying, as well as help deal with a friend who lies.

Things You Should Know

If your friend is an experienced liar, the common signals that someone is lying (hiding their mouth, turning away, avoiding eye contact, etc.) may not be good ways to determine if they’re lying. ^{[1]
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Research source}
Try asking your friend a follow-up question regarding the suspected lie; if they pause for a long time to think about the answer, they fumble over their words, or they look away when they’re talking, they’re probably lying. ^{[2]
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Take what you know about your friend into consideration—if you’ve always known them to be straight up with you, try to cut them the benefit of the doubt.
Asking yourself, “What do they have to gain by lying?” will often help you deduce whether they’re trying to pull one over on you.

Part 1

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Telling Fact from Fiction

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1
Ask questions. Asking questions and taking time to find out the answer will mean you will be able to understand and empathize with what your friend is talking about, if it is true. If your friend is lying, they will probably try to avoid eye contact, dodge the question, stutter for a minute before answering, change the subject quickly, or come up with an answer that makes no sense.
- If your friend talks about getting a bunch of positive comments on a social media app that you don't have, maybe ask them what all of the comments say. If he or she gives a vague answer such as, "They all say I'm really pretty or whatever" or "I got so many, I can't keep track," then they're probably lying. Just remember that some people do a lot of these things normally, so it really depends on the person.
While everyone has incredible experiences, if your friend is always telling you about those VIP passes she got to the movies, or how her mom is cousins with the president, it's safe to say your friend's making most of these things up.

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3
Ask their relative. Whether a sibling or parent, a relative is likely to know all of this stuff. Ask nonchalantly by bringing up the suspected lie like this in conversation, "It's so cool that Adam's play is on YouTube! I can't believe it got 200,000 views!" Relatives will be honest in most cases on whether or not it is true.
- Just remember to be a courteous house guest instead of focusing all of your time on this. If you do this more than a few times, though, they will probably get suspicious of you and think you're trying to accuse your friend.
4
Look for suspicious signs. Everyone has certain "tells" which are certain ways they act when they are lying. Learning to recognize tells can help you distinguish fact from fiction and spot a lie easily. Some of these telltale signs include: ^{[3]
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Research source}
- When someone is lying to you, they may begin to breathe heavily
- They may repeat words or phrases in order to convince you.
Say something like "Cool" as if you don't fully believe them (without being sarcastic) and switch to a different topic abruptly. If they immediately go back to the topic or tell you that they're not making it up, they're probably lying. Make it subtle that you don't believe them, so they'd have to be looking for it. Defensiveness is one of the telltale signs that someone's lying.

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Dealing with a Lying Friend

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While everyone's got quirks and friendships are about accepting both the good and the bad, if you feel your relationship is completely built on lies, it may be time to let go. If you are in a bad relationship but want to give your friend a second chance, tell them respectfully what they are doing that makes you so upset, rather than being passive aggressive, which will get you absolutely nowhere.
There must be a reason for why they're constantly lying to you. Are they bullied in school? Do they have a hard time making friends? Are they jealous of your looks or your house or your significant other? All of these things (and more) can lead to a friend lying. Understand that your friend isn't perfect and they, like you, make mistakes.
While having a friend who lies can be annoying, frustrating, and even hurtful, understand that you probably lie as well. Even little "white lies" can be harmful. You're probably feeling the same way! Trying to lie to your friend as little as possible makes the relationship much more meaningful, and makes them lie less to you.

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Talking to Your Friend

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Lines such as "You're one of my closest friends, and we'll be friends forever, but sometimes, I get the feeling that you lie." are good. Try to mention yourself and the fact that you lie too, sometimes, and you're working on not lying, but don't mention yourself too much. Make sure to have a rebuttal against some arguments your friend is sure to give.
2
Bring it up. Make sure to keep your voice even toned and not to get mad. Listen to what your friend has to say, but don't let the discussion become all about things you've done wrong. If your friend wants to discuss that with you, he/she can create a time, just like you did.
- Remind your friend that you're not angry, you merely want to talk so that this happens less. Make sure to go about the discussion in a mature way so your friend can fix their actions.
Let your friend know that you don't like being lied to in a respectful tone, even if they raise their voice. Try not to be super accusatory, or your friend will become defensive and angry. Ask them why they lie to me, and let them know that you don't fall for it, it only makes you feel stupid because they think you will fall for it.

Protect Yourself from Deceitful People with this Expert Series

Do you have liars or people who like to bully and gossip in your life? It can be hard to know what's real when the people around you aren't truthful, so we've put together this expert series to help you protect yourself from lying, bullying, and gossip.

1

Deal With People Who Exaggerate

2

Deal With a Liar

3

Deal With a Compulsive Liar

4

Deal With Drama Queens or Kings

5

Deal With Bullying, Gossip and Rumors

6

Tell when Your Friend Is Lying

Community Q&A

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I have a friend who constantly gossips about people, and does things behind other people's backs. I want to find out if she's a real friend, so how can I do that?

Community Answer

If she's saying and doing harmful/hurtful things toward other people, then that's probably the type of person she is and it's very likely that she'll treat you the same way. Is this the kind of person you want to be associated with? You can do better.

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Question

My friend lies to me about being abused by her father, liking a television show that I like and some other things. How can I stop her?

Maria773

Community Answer

Make sure you have complete proof before you confront her. When you do confront her, tell her that she doesn't need to lie to you to get your friendship and support. Tell her everyone can see right through it, and you like her better for who she is than what she lies about. Make sure you tell her that it's not a joke or a game or funny to you, and being abused is a big deal so it's not good to lie about that.

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How do I know if my friend is lying about being a vampire?

Community Answer

Vampires don't exist, so he/she is definitely lying. Remind them that vampires can't go outside in sunlight, can fly, drink blood, etc. Ask him/her to prove that they're a vampire. When they can't, you'll know for sure.

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Tips

Stay friendly with them throughout the discussion.

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Support your friend. Even if they lie, they still have great qualities, or you wouldn't be their friend. Make sure that you help them in whatever they're going through.

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Warnings

Your friend might take offense, so try to talk to them respectfully.

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Don't accuse them of lying unless you're absolutely certain.

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Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about psychology, check out our in-depth interview with Allison Broennimann, PhD .

[_note-1] ttps://www.forensicscolleges.com/blog/resources/10-signs-someone-is-lying

[_note-2] ttps://www.business2community.com/communications/how-to-tell-if-someone-is-lying-using-questioning-techniques-02227031

[_note-3] ttps://www.businessinsider.co.za/11-signs-someone-is-lying-2014-4

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How to Tell when Your Friend Is Lying

Things You Should Know

Steps

Telling Fact from Fiction

Dealing with a Lying Friend

Talking to Your Friend

Protect Yourself from Deceitful People with this Expert Series

Community Q&A

Reference

Tips

Warnings

Expert Interview

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