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

Some with names such as "Timeless Tales" and "History Haven" were posting more than 50 times a day.

From BBC • Aug. 28, 2025

“Collected Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen,” she read aloud.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke