Definitions

tales

[teylz, tey-leez] / teɪlz, ˈteɪ liz /

NOUN

story

Synonyms

STRONGEST

account anecdote fable fiction legend myth narrative novel short story yarn

STRONG

narration relation report romance saga

WEAK

fairy tale folk tale

Antonyms

STRONGEST

non-fiction truth

NOUN

made-up story

Synonyms

STRONGEST

fiction rumor yarn

STRONG

canard chestnut clothesline defamation detraction exaggeration fabrication falsehood falsity fib lie misrepresentation prevarication rigmarole scandal slander spiel untruth

WEAK

cock-and-bull story tall story untruism

Antonyms

STRONGEST

truth

STRONG

honesty praise

WEAK

non-fiction

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The tail-wagging detective with a "joyful and goofy" personality retired with an extensive list of accolades -- including an Animal of the Year award and Puppy Tales Photos Australian Dog of the Year award.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Tales of Watt and Dickie changing their names to Elvis, sending beer to President Putin and brewing beer on a plane all turned out to be made up.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Tales of withering love leading to betrayal among the upper middle classes are almost as common as murder mysteries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

Tales of first-team training at United are stuff of legend.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025

Millard insisted on carrying the Tales in his arms, heavy and bulky as it was, because he might need to refer to it at any moment, he said.

From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs