belie

[ bih-lahy ]

verb (used with object)

, be·lied, be·ly·ing.

1. to show to be false; contradict:

   His trembling hands belied his calm voice.

   Synonyms: gainsay, confute, repudiate, disprove, refute

   Antonyms: support, verify, substantiate, confirm, prove

2. to misrepresent:

   The newspaper belied the facts.

3. to act unworthily according to the standards of (a tradition, one's ancestry, one's faith, etc.).
4. Archaic. to lie about; slander.

belie

/ bɪˈlaɪ /

verb

1. to show to be untrue; contradict
2. to misrepresent; disguise the nature of

   the report belied the real extent of the damage

3. to fail to justify; disappoint

Derived Forms

• beˈlier, noun

Other Words From

• be·li·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of belie¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English belyen, Old English belēogan; be-, lie ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of belie¹

Old English belēogan ; related to Old Frisian biliuga , Old High German biliugan ; see be- , lie ¹

Synonym Study

See misrepresent.

Example Sentences

Hearing her speak in this way gives me a glimpse of a toughness that belies her well-spoken, gentle demeanour.

From BBC

But sometimes, the promotion of those practical effects belies the work done by special effects teams.

From Los Angeles Times

He has a similar aw-shucks, genial manner — easy to laugh and quick to offer a cup of tea — that belies the strange hive of imagery buzzing inside his head.

From Los Angeles Times

But Schneider’s normcore exterior belies an undercurrent of intensity: There’s a particular, obsessive mindset required to conceive of and execute such an ambitious public expedition every year over two decades.

From Los Angeles Times

The former president’s predictions of triumph, the reporter who has covered several Republican presidential campaigns concluded, belie a sense of panic among his subordinates that "the bottom has started to fall out" in their efforts.

From Salon

Related Words

• distort
• gloss over
• mislead
• misstate