To be truthful means to tell the truth and to be honest in what you say. A truthful person doesn't lie, exaggerate, or leave out important facts to mislead others. When your teacher asks if you finished your homework and you admit you forgot, you're being truthful even though it might be uncomfortable.

Being truthful means representing things as they really are, which includes both avoiding lies and being accurate in what you do say. If you tell your friend their drawing is amazing when you actually think it needs work, you're not being fully truthful. But truthfulness doesn't mean being mean: you can be both truthful and kind by saying something like, “I really like how you used color, and I bet with more practice it'll get even better.”

Truthful can also describe things that accurately show reality. A truthful account of what happened at recess means describing the events as they actually occurred, not how you wish they had happened or how you want others to see them. A biography is truthful when it includes both the inspiring parts of someone's life and their mistakes or failures.

People value truthfulness because trust depends on it. When someone proves to be truthful over time, others know they can rely on what that person says.