is there any difference between words "truthful","honest" and "veracious"? or do they mean exactly the same?
I checked the dictionaries but want to learn subtlety in their meanings.
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To me "veracious" is a character trait with respect to speech, "truthful" is the description of behavior with respect to speech, and "honest" has a higher connotation, since it relates to "honor". – Victor Bazarov Oct 7 '15 at 16:49
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Yes.
- Truthful as about the absolute fact: "Truthfully, your chocolate cake tasted oddly of liver."
- Honest is about openness: "Honestly, I hated it."
And one can be truthful without being honest:
Q: What do you think of my new hat/hair style/dress...
A: It's quite eye-catching.
Regarding veracious... I don't think I've ever seen or heard it used.
answered Oct 7 '15 at 20:09
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Now this is a BIG problem for non native english speakers like me. How am I to know whether a word is commonly used one or obselete? I mean I came across this word "veracious" somewhere while reading GRE word list. I do not want to learn words that are not even known to the native speakers. – SamuraiJack Oct 8 '15 at 4:15
