# tall story

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/tall-story
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Synonym of tall tale (“a tale or story which is fantastic and greatly exaggerated; also, an account of questionable veracity; a lie, an untruth”).

## Examples

- He told a tall story about catching a giant fish.
- Nobody believed his tall story about meeting a famous actor at the local grocery store.
- The explorer regaled the tavern with a tall story concerning hidden gold, though most listeners dismissed his claims as pure fabrication.

## Origin

From tall (“exaggerated”) + story.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.