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I'm trying to find a word which conveys the meaning that the speaker knowingly uses empty words, or words to a specific effect, that he does not believe in. I have gone through all the possible matches, like "liar", or "ironical", "sarcastic", but I feel these are not right, and that my word is out there somewhere, I just cannot remember it. Could I be confused? If possible I would need this to be a 19th century word. it is for a story I'm writing. Thanks for helping

Diana Lima
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  • Since you've tagged this as a single word request, you should include a sample sentence demonstrating how the word would be used. – KillingTime Jun 27 '21 at 10:26
  • There are several responses that date to the 19th century at https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/251997/what-is-a-word-to-describe-a-response-to-a-question-that-is-evasive-but-not-untr/251999#251999 . – rajah9 Jun 27 '21 at 10:55
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    Try insincere. – Robusto Jun 27 '21 at 14:00
  • Dissimulate. . . – Xanne Jun 27 '21 at 21:49
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    Hypocritical ... – John Canon Jun 28 '21 at 00:01
  • I think I was looking for "cynical." But I loved your suggestions, "prevaricate" was super interesting, and I will keep them in my list. Thanks everyone! :) – Diana Lima Jun 28 '21 at 08:55
  • There's lots of words. lying, bullshit, blather, nonsense, bluster, tosh, plus others mentioned here ...the list goes on and on. prevaricate and equivocate are more formal terms. Cynical is not the word you're looking for. – Mitch Jun 28 '21 at 12:36
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    Thanks everyone, Mitch and Tripehound especially. I can consider the question answered and closed. – Diana Lima Jun 28 '21 at 21:12

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In the sense of "uses empty words", or otherwise "avoiding the question", my first thought would be prevaricate.

The OED lists a number of meanings; the first that is neither obsolete nor rare is:

prevaricate, v.
3. a. intransitive. To deviate from straightforwardness; to speak or act in an evasive way; to quibble, equivocate.

Example citations for (roughly) the time-period you are interested in:

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones VI. xviii. viii. 233 Do not hesitate nor prevaricate; but answer faithfully and truly to every Question I ask.

1781 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall II. xvii. 64 Their attempts to prevaricate, or elude the intention of the legislator, were severely watched, and punished as a capital crime.

1841 G. P. R. James Brigand xxxii Perhaps we may put it in such a way as to prevent his prevaricating.

and a more recent citation:

2005 Canberra Times (Nexis) 1 June a19 Official witnesses can..be economical with the truth, tailor their evidence, prevaricate or misrepresent without sanction.

TripeHound
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