lie

¹

[ lahy ]

noun

1. a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive; an intentional untruth.

   Synonyms: prevarication

   Antonyms: truth

2. something intended or serving to convey a false impression; imposture:

   His flashy car was a lie that deceived no one.

3. an inaccurate or untrue statement; falsehood:

   When I went to school, history books were full of lies, and I won't teach lies to kids.

4. the charge or accusation of telling a lie:

   He flung the lie back at his accusers.

verb (used without object)

, lied, ly·ing.

1. to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive.

   Synonyms: fib, prevaricate

2. to express what is false; convey a false impression.

verb (used with object)

, lied, ly·ing.

1. to bring about or affect by lying (often used reflexively):

   to lie oneself out of a difficulty; accustomed to lying his way out of difficulties.

lie

²

[ lahy ]

verb (used without object)

, lay, lain, ly·ing.

1. to be in a horizontal, recumbent, or prostrate position, as on a bed or the ground; recline.

   Antonyms: stand

2. (of objects) to rest in a horizontal or flat position:

   The book lies on the table.

3. to be or remain in a position or state of inactivity, subjection, restraint, concealment, etc.:

   to lie in ambush.

4. to rest, press, or weigh (usually followed by on or upon ):

   These things lie upon my mind.

5. to depend (usually followed by on or upon ).
6. to be placed or situated:

   land lying along the coast.

7. to be stretched out or extended:

   the broad plain that lies before us.

8. to be in or have a specified direction; extend:

   The trail from here lies to the west.

9. to be found or located in a particular area or place:

   The fault lies here.

10. to consist or be grounded (usually followed by in ):

    The real remedy lies in education.

11. to be buried in a particular spot:

    Their ancestors lie in the family plot.

12. Law. to be sustainable or admissible, as an action or appeal.
13. Archaic. to lodge; stay the night; sojourn.

noun

1. the manner, relative position, or direction in which something lies:

   the lie of the patio, facing the water.

   Synonyms: site, position, situation

2. the haunt or covert of an animal.
3. Golf. the position of the ball relative to how easy or how difficult it is to play.

verb phrase

1. 1. to be confined to bed in childbirth.
   2. Chiefly British. to stay in bed longer than usual, especially in the morning.
2. 1. to be the duty or function of:

      The decision in this matter lies with him.

   2. Archaic. to have sexual intercourse with.
3. 1. to lie at rest; stay in bed.
   2. (of a ship) to dock or remain in dock.
4. to be postponed for attention or action at some future time:

   The other business on the agenda will have to lie over until the next meeting.

5. to assume a horizontal or prostrate position, as for the purpose of resting.
6. 1. to pause for rest; stop activities, work, etc., temporarily.
   2. to lie unused:

      Ever since the last member of the family died, the old house has lain by.

Lie

³

[ lee ]

noun

1. Jonas, 1880–1940, U.S. painter, born in Norway.
2. (Ma·ri·us) So·phus [mah-, r, ee-, oo, s , soh, -f, oo, s], 1842–99, Norwegian mathematician.
3. Tryg·ve Halv·dan [trig, -v, uh, , hahlv, -dahn, tryg, -v, uh, , hahlv, -dahn], 1896–1968, Norwegian statesman: secretary-general of the United Nations 1946–53.

lie

¹

/ laɪ /

verb

1. often foll by down to place oneself or be in a prostrate position, horizontal to the ground
2. to be situated, esp on a horizontal surface

   the pencil is lying on the desk

   India lies to the south of Russia

3. to be buried

   here lies Jane Brown

4. copula to be and remain (in a particular state or condition)

   to lie dormant

5. to stretch or extend

   the city lies before us

6. usually foll byon or upon to rest or weigh

   my sins lie heavily on my mind

7. usually foll by in to exist or consist inherently

   strength lies in unity

8. foll by with
   1. to be or rest (with)

      the ultimate decision lies with you

   2. to have sexual intercourse (with)
9. (of an action, claim, appeal, etc) to subsist; be maintainable or admissible
10. archaic.
    to stay temporarily
11. lie in state
    See state
12. lie low
    1. to keep or be concealed or quiet
    2. to wait for a favourable opportunity

noun

1. the manner, place, or style in which something is situated
2. the hiding place or lair of an animal
3. golf
   1. the position of the ball after a shot

      a bad lie

   2. the angle made by the shaft of the club before the upswing
4. lie of the land
   1. the topography of the land
   2. the way in which a situation is developing or people are behaving

lie

²

/ laɪ /

verb

1. intr to speak untruthfully with intent to mislead or deceive
2. intr to convey a false impression or practise deception

   the camera does not lie

noun

1. an untrue or deceptive statement deliberately used to mislead
2. something that is deliberately intended to deceive
3. give the lie to
   1. to disprove
   2. to accuse of lying

Lie

³

/ liː /

noun

1. LieTrygve Halvdan18961968MNorwegianPOLITICS: statesman Trygve Halvdan (ˈtryɡvə ˈhalðan). 1896–1968, Norwegian statesman; first secretary-general of the United Nations (1946–52)

Usage

See lay 1

Confusables Note

See lay ¹.

Word History and Origins

Origin of lie¹

First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English leye, lighe; Old English lyge, lige; cognate with German Lüge, Old Norse lygi; akin to Gothic liugn; (verb) Middle English lien, ligen, leie, Old English lēogan (intransitive); cognate with German lügen, Old Norse ljūga, Gothic liugan

Origin of lie²

First recorded before 900; Middle English lien, liggen, Old English licgan; cognate with German liegen, Dutch liggen, Old Norse liggja, Gothic ligan; akin to Greek léchesthai “to lie down”

Word History and Origins

Origin of lie¹

Old English licgan akin to Old High German ligen to lie, Latin lectus bed

Origin of lie²

Old English lyge (n), lēogan (vb); related to Old High German liogan, Gothic liugan

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. give the lie to,
   1. to accuse of lying; contradict.
   2. to prove or imply the falsity of; belie:

      His poor work gives the lie to his claims of experience.

2. lie down on the job, Informal. to do less than one could or should do; shirk one's obligations:

   I don't know why they haven't fired that guy—he's always lying down on the job.

3. lie in one's throat / teeth, to lie grossly or maliciously: Also lie through one's teeth.

   If she told you exactly the opposite of what she told me, she must be lying in her teeth.

4. lie to, Nautical. (of a ship) to lie comparatively stationary, usually with the head as near the wind as possible.
5. take lying down, to hear or yield without protest, contradiction, or resistance:

   I refuse to take such an insult lying down.

6. lie in state. state ( def 24 ).
7. lie low. low ¹( def 51 ).

More idioms and phrases containing lie

• barefaced lie
• give the lie to
• (lie) in state
• lay of the land (how the land lies)
• let sleeping dogs lie
• make one's bed and lie in it
• take lying down
• white lie

Synonym Study

See falsehood.

Example Sentences

Why would anyone have confidence they would be believed and treated with respect when the boss got his job based on the premise that the victims of such crimes always lie?

From Slate

When the draw is made next month, some of Europe's superpowers could lie in wait in pot one, and Bellamy believes matches such as last Saturday's hard-earned draw in Turkey in an intimidating atmosphere will equip his players with the kind of experience they will need to prosper against tough opponents next year.

From BBC

Within 10 minutes - before we’d really begun our ascent - I suddenly had to lie down.

From BBC

Pineda kept firing after the other deputies stopped shooting, even as Ordaz “continued to lie on the ground on the right side of his body,” according to court records.

From Los Angeles Times

She shouted across the court: "You are lying; I am sick of your lies, you're alone in your lie, you will die lying."

From BBC

Related Words

• deceit
• deception
• dishonesty
• disinformation
• distortion
• evasion
• fabrication
• falsehood
• fiction
• forgery
• inaccuracy
• misrepresentation
• myth
• perjury
• slander
• tale