lying

¹

[ lahy-ing ]

noun

1. the telling of lies, or false statements; untruthfulness:

   From boyhood, he has never been good at lying.

   Synonyms: prevarication, mendacity, falsity, falsehood

   Antonyms: veracity, truth

adjective

1. telling or containing lies; deliberately untruthful; deceitful; false:

   a lying report.

   Synonyms: counterfeit, sham, fallacious, mendacious, misleading, deceptive

   Antonyms: trustworthy, accurate, correct, actual, candid, true

lying

²

[ lahy-ing ]

verb

1. present participle of lie ².

lying

¹

/ ˈlaɪɪŋ /

verb

1. the present participle and gerund of lie 2

lying

²

/ ˈlaɪɪŋ /

verb

1. the present participle and gerund of lie 1

Other Words From

• lying·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of lying¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; lie ¹, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Stuart then referenced recent cases where people had got into trouble for lying about their experience and achievements.

From BBC

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

Video from the scene posted on a private WeChat account showed some children lying on the ground, while panicked students carrying school bags flee the scene.

From BBC

He also told the jury he was lying when he called his wife, Ms Batool, a “psycho” earlier in the trial.

From BBC

Reporting from the scene, BBC News journalist Molly Brewer said she she could see a green bike lying on the ground.

From BBC

Related Words

• misleading