Mythomania is a noun that refers to the tendency to exaggerate.

We have the Greeks to thank for our word of the day. Its root word is ‘myth,’ coming from the Greek word mythos (MYTH ose) and its suffix is M-A-N-I-A, coming also from Greek and usually refers to a state of frenzy or enthusiasm. A person engaging in mythomania may be guilty of fabricating or simply stretching the truth.

Before understanding Peter’s mythomania, I thought I had met a true legend. But after learning of his tendency to exaggerate, I soon realized that I hadn’t met the inventor of the internet or the first man in space.