lie
Other forms: lying; lies; lain; lied
When you don't tell the truth, you lie. You also lie down when you're sleepy and wonder what lies ahead of you.
If we leave aside the lie that is an untruth, most meanings of lie are related. If something lies ahead of us, then it's there, down the road, waiting for us. If mountains lie to the east, we can think of them as having settled down there. If something lies unused, it is just sort of left to lie on the shelf (or wherever). If you let a sleeping dog lie, you're just letting him be right where he is — in the same position.
Definitions of lie
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be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position“The sick man lay in bed all day”“the books are lying on the shelf”
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Synonyms:
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lie down
assume a reclining position
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Antonyms:
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sit, sit down
be seated
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stand, stand up
be standing; be upright
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seat, sit, sit down
show to a seat; assign a seat for
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place upright, stand, stand up
put into an upright position
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sit, sit down
take a seat
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types:
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sun, sunbathe
expose one's body to the sun
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sprawl
sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
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recline, recumb, repose
lean in a comfortable resting position
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overlie
lie upon; lie on top of
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lie awake
lie without sleeping
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repose
lie when dead
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bask
be exposed
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rest
be at rest
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spread-eagle
stand with arms and legs spread out
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lie down
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assume a reclining position“lie down on the bed until you feel better”
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synonyms:
lie down
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be and remain in a particular state or condition“lie dormant”
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type of:
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be
have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
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be
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be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
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Synonyms:
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rest
have a place in relation to something else
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types:
- show 24 types...
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nestle
lie in a sheltered position
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intervene
be placed or located between other things or extend between spaces and events
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top
be at the top of or constitute the top or highest point
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mediate
occupy an intermediate or middle position or form a connecting link or stage between two others
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ride
lie moored or anchored
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lap
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
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focalise, focalize, localise, localize
concentrate on a particular place or spot
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slant
lie obliquely
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precede, predate
come before
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underlie
lie underneath
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cap, crest
lie at the top of
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face, front, look
be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to
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back
be in back of
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flank
be located at the sides of something or somebody
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head
be in the front of or on top of
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command, dominate, overlook, overtop
look down on
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line, run along
be in line with; form a line along
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orient, point
be oriented
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look across, look out on, look out over, overlook
be oriented in a certain direction
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rim
run around the rim of
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surmount
be on top of
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crown
form the topmost part of
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dwarf, overshadow, shadow
make appear small by comparison
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confront
be face to face with
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type of:
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be
occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere
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rest
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have a place in relation to something else
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originate (in)
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position or manner in which something is situated
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tell an untruth; pretend with intent to deceive“Don't lie to your parents”“She lied when she told me she was only 29”
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a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
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synonyms:
prevarication
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types:
- show 5 types...
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fib, story, tale, taradiddle, tarradiddle
a trivial lie
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jactitation
(law) a false boast that can harm others; especially a false claim to be married to someone (formerly actionable at law)
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walloper, whopper
a gross untruth; a blatant lie
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white lie
an unimportant lie (especially one told to be tactful or polite)
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cock-and-bull story, fairy story, fairy tale, fairytale, song and dance
an interesting but highly implausible story; often told as an excuse
Pronunciation
US
/laɪ/
UK
/laɪ/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘lie'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Commonly confused words
lay / lie
The verbs lay and lie are total jerks. People often say lay when they mean lie, but it's wrong to lay around. You have to lay something, anything — lay an egg if you want. But you can lie around until the cows come home!
Word Family
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