A half-truth is a statement that is only partly true — and often the missing part is the part that would change how you feel. Someone gives you a real fact, but leaves out the fact beside it, so you walk away with the wrong picture. It is a favourite tool when people want to hide something without telling a bald lie: they can say, “Well, I didn’t lie.” That is why the word has a slightly dirty taste. A half-truth is usually not an innocent mistake. It is more calculating than a simple mix-up, and less complete than a full lie. You will hear it in news, politics, and arguments: “That’s a half-truth.” Ordinary conversation uses it too, when someone is being slippery. Though actually, the trouble is not that the sentence is short. A long speech can still be a half-truth if the important half is left in the dark.