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.

John Galsworthy’s tales of an affluent family in Victorian and Edwardian England offer a vivid portrait of a vanished era.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Sooner or later we must stop believing in fairy tales and repeated broken promises, and embrace reality again.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

These are not cautionary tales about individual failure.

From BBC • Mar. 29, 2026

Most Godzilla tales present slightly different interpretations of a mythology that began with the first “Godzilla” released in 1954.

From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026

Those had been my favorite tales as a kid—you didn't come across many Arabian heroes anywhere else.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda