truthen

English

Etymology

From truth +‎ -en.

Verb

truthen (third-person singular simple present truthens, present participle truthening, simple past and past participle truthened)

1. (transitive) To make true; to cause to adhere to the truth; to prove, validate, or support the veracity of
   • 1931, Robert Massie Freeman, John Drinkwater, Saml: Pepys, Listner, page 192:

     So in order to truthen this, before the letter goes, I forthwith to get the Majestick on the foan, and by God's mercy have one good room left, on the 1st floor.

   • 1950, Hoosier Folklore, volume 9, page 64:

     In so doing I have followed the generally accepted practice, and have 'truthened' them up a little.

   • 1987, Walter Blair, Tall Tale America: A Legendary History of Our Humorous Heroes:

     Every now and then, young readers would write to ask how I could, as I put it, "make improvements" on "a good many things in this history" that had been told me "by fine honest Americans," and how I could "truthen up" facts. I gave them elaborate metaphysical explanations which I'm not sure that they — or even I — completely understood. If my claims made sense, I suppose that those technical facts about heroes' occupations and background historical facts deserve some credit. Also, I like to believe that I truthened up my history by satirizing some vulnerable aspects of American life; for example, the way some entrepreneurs interlace smug piety and sharp practices; the crassness and cruelty of some hair-trigger toughs; Johnny Appleseed's self-righteousness and sentimentality; undemocratic practices; super efficiency combined with inhumanity and pretentiousness.

   • 2013, Irwin Shaw, Beggarman, Thief:

     “Smarter and smarter, ain't you?” the man said. With his free hand he slapped Rudolph, hard, across the eyes. Rudolph was blinded momentarily by tears and he stumbled back. “That's just to truthen you up a little, mister,” the man with the gun said.

See also

• true up

Anagrams

• turneth