lie

1 of 4

verb (1)

ˈlī 

lay ˈlā  ; lain ˈlān  ; lying ˈlī-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

a

: to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position : be prostrate : rest, recline

lie motionless

lie asleep

b

: to assume a horizontal position

—often used with down

c

archaic : to reside temporarily : stay for the night : lodge

d

: to have sexual intercourse

—used with with

e

: to remain inactive (as in concealment)

lie in wait

2

: to be in a helpless or defenseless state

the town lay at the mercy of the invaders

3

of an inanimate thing : to be or remain in a flat or horizontal position upon a broad support

books lying on the table

4

: to have direction : extend

the route lay to the west

5

a

: to occupy a certain relative place or position

hills lie behind us

b

: to have a place in relation to something else

the real reason lies deeper

c

: to have an effect through mere presence, weight, or relative position

remorse lay heavily on him

d

: to be sustainable or admissible

6

: to remain at anchor or becalmed

7

a

: to have place : exist

the choice lay between fighting or surrendering

b

: consist, belong

the success of the book lies in its direct style

responsibility lay with the adults

8

: remain

especially : to remain unused, unsought, or uncared for

Lay vs. Lie: Usage Guide

Lay has been used intransitively in the sense of "lie"

going to lay down for a quick nap

since the 14th century. The practice was unremarked until around 1770; attempts to correct it have been a fixture of schoolbooks ever since. Generations of teachers and critics have succeeded in taming most literary and learned writing, but intransitive lay persists in familiar speech and is a bit more common in general prose than one might suspect. Much of the problem lies in the confusing similarity of the principal parts of the two words. Another influence may be a folk belief that lie is for people and lay is for things. Some commentators are ready to abandon the distinction, suggesting that lay is on the rise socially. But if it does rise to respectability, it is sure to do so slowly: many people have invested effort in learning to keep lie and lay distinct. Remember that even though many people do use lay for lie, others will judge you unfavorably if you do.

lie

2 of 4

noun (1)

ˈlī 

1

chiefly British : lay sense 6

2

: the position or situation in which something lies (see lie entry 1)

a golf ball in a difficult lie

3

: the haunt of an animal (such as a fish) : covert

4

British : an act or instance of lying or resting

lie

3 of 4

verb (2)

ˈlī 

lied; lying ˈlī-iŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive

She was lying when she said she didn't break the vase.

He lied about his past experience.

2

: to create a false or misleading impression

Statistics sometimes lie.

The mirror never lies.

transitive verb

: to bring about by telling lies

He lied his way out of trouble.

lie

4 of 4

noun (2)

ˈlī 

1

a

: an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker or writer to be untrue with intent to deceive

He told a lie to avoid punishment.

b

: an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker or writer

the lies we tell ourselves to feel better

historical records containing numerous lies

2

: something that misleads or deceives

His show of remorse was a lie.

3

: a charge of lying (see lie entry 3)

Phrases

lie low

1

: to lie prostrate, defeated, or disgraced

2

: to stay in hiding : strive to avoid notice

3

: to bide one's time : remain secretly ready for action

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• bear
• extend
• go
• head
• lead
• run

Verb (2)

• fabricate
• fib
• prevaricate

Noun (2)

• fable
• fabrication
• fairy tale
• falsehood
• falsity
• fib
• mendacity
• prevarication
• story
• tale
• taradiddle
• tarradiddle
• untruth
• whopper

Choose the Right Synonym for lie

lie, prevaricate, equivocate, palter, fib mean to tell an untruth.

lie is the blunt term, imputing dishonesty.

lied about where he had been

prevaricate softens the bluntness of lie by implying quibbling or confusing the issue.

during the hearings the witness did his best to prevaricate

equivocate implies using words having more than one sense so as to seem to say one thing but intend another.

equivocated endlessly in an attempt to mislead her inquisitors

palter implies making unreliable statements of fact or intention or insincere promises.

a swindler paltering with his investors

fib applies to a telling of a trivial untruth.

fibbed about the price of the new suit

Examples of lie in a Sentence

Verb (1)

the train tracks lie just over that hill

I left the book lying on the counter

paparazzi were lying in wait outside the restaurant, a well-known celebrity hangout

Verb (2)

would I lie to you about that?

Noun (2)

he wanted to deny the accusation, but he couldn't tell a lie

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And while their relationship is a little cozier these days, the former president had threatened to throw Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg in jail as part of Trump’s lies about election fraud. —William Gavin, Quartz, 8 Nov. 2024

So for the last few years, the vote-fraud hucksters have focused on a different lie: That undocumented immigrants (brought into the country by Democrats) are voting illegally. —Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2024

Verb

One answer lies in a unique facet of human psychology – specifically, in how people manage the fear aroused by existential threats. —Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024

There’s something that nearly all Dateline episodes have in common — someone is lying. —Dateline Nbc, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English licgan; akin to Old High German ligen to lie, Latin lectus bed, Greek lechos

Verb (2)

Middle English, from Old English lēogan; akin to Old High German liogan to lie, Old Church Slavic lŭgati

Noun (2)

Middle English lige, lie, from Old English lyge; akin to Old High German lugī, Old English lēogan to lie

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (1)

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing lie

• be/lie at the bottom of
• big lie
• give the lie to
• I tell a lie
• let sleeping dogs lie
• lie ahead
• lie around
• lie back
• lie behind
• lie by
• lie detector
• lie doggo
• lie down
• lie down on the job
• lie-in
• lie in state
• lie in wait
• lie like a rug
• lie off
• lie of the land
• lie on/upon
• lie over
• lie through one's teeth
• lie to
• lie up
• lie with
• live a lie
• make one's bed and lie in it
• unplayable lie
• white lie

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.

Kids Definition

lie

1 of 4 verb

ˈlī 

lay ˈlā  ; lain ˈlān  ; lying ˈlī-iŋ 

1

a

: to be in, stay in, or take up a horizontal position

lay fast asleep

lie down

b

: to stay in hiding or in ambush

lie low

lie in wait

2

: to be spread flat so as to cover

snow lying on the ground

3

: to have direction : extend

our route lay to the west

4

: to be located

Ohio lies east of Indiana

lie

2 of 4 noun

1

: the position in which something lies

2

chiefly British : lay entry 2

lie

3 of 4 verb

lied; lying ˈlī-iŋ 

1

: to make a statement one knows to be untrue

2

: to give a false idea

statistics sometimes lie

lie

4 of 4 noun

: something said or done in the hope of deceiving

Etymology

Verb

Old English licgan "to get into or be in a horizontal position"

Verb

Old English lēogan "to say something that is not true"

Legal Definition

lie

intransitive verb

ˈlī 

lay ˈlā  ; lain ˈlān  ; lying

: to be sustainable or capable of being maintained : have grounds under the law

holding that an action of battery would lie

—Scott v. Bradford, 606 P.2d 554 (1979)

remedies for misrepresentation…will not lie for misstatements of opinion

—W. L. Prosser and W. P. Keeton

appeals from the Tax Court lie to the…Circuit Court

—D. Q. Posin

Biographical Definition

Lie 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈlē 

Jonas 1833–1908 Norwegian novelist and dramatist

Lie

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Trygve Halvdan 1896–1968 Norwegian lawyer; secretary-general of U.N. (1946–52)