Belie — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb /bi-ˈlī/ be·lie

Meaning & Definition of Belie

Belie (verb)

  1. to give a false impression of
  2. to present an appearance not in agreement with
  3. to show (something) to be false or wrong

Belie (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give a misleading impression of

    "his bright smile belied his actual mood, which was really one of great sadness"

    similar: misrepresent
    related: contradict, camouflage, cloak, conceal, counterfeit, disguise, hide, mask, obscure, color, deceive, distort, falsify, garble, mislead, misrender, misreport, twist, dissemble, feign, pretend
    opposite: betray, represent
    near: bare, demonstrate, disclose, discover, evince, exhibit, expose, reveal, flaunt, parade, show off

  2. to prove to be false

    "the latest information belies the old theory"

    similar: confound, confute, debunk, disconfirm, discredit, disprove, falsify, rebut, refute, shoot down, give the lie to
    related: overthrow, overturn, challenge, contest, query, question, doubt, mistrust, debate, discuss, hash (over), moot, talk over
    opposite: confirm, establish, prove, validate, verify
    near: document, evidence, evince, record, show, support, witness, back (up), buttress, corroborate, substantiate, adduce, attest, authenticate, certify, identify, demonstrate, display, illustrate, manifest

  3. to keep secret or shut off from view

    "the security council issued false assurances that belied the true gravity of the situation"

    similar: blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, disguise, enshroud, hide, mask, obscure, occult, paper over, screen, shroud, suppress, veil
    related: bury, camouflage, cover (up), smother, gild, gloss (over), varnish, whitewash, becloud, bedim, befog, block, cloud, darken, eclipse, obstruct, occlude, overcast, overshadow, shade
    opposite: bare, disclose, display, divulge, expose, reveal, show, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil
    near: bring out, present, clarify, illuminate, advertise, air, broadcast, get out, proclaim, publicize, publish, spread

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Belie

The most common words with a similar meaning to Belie:

misrepresent, confound, confute, debunk, disconfirm, discredit, disprove, falsify, rebut, refute, shoot down, blanket, blot out, cloak, conceal, cover, curtain, disguise, enshroud, hide, mask, obscure, occult, paper over, screen, shroud, suppress, veil, give the lie to

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Belie

Words with the opposite meaning of Belie:

betray, represent, confirm, establish, prove, validate, verify, bare, disclose, display, divulge, expose, reveal, show, uncloak, uncover, unmask, unveil

Related Words for Belie

contradict, camouflage, counterfeit, color, deceive, distort, garble, mislead, misrender, misreport, twist, dissemble, feign, pretend, overthrow, overturn, challenge, contest, query, question, doubt, mistrust, debate, discuss, hash (over), moot, talk over, bury, cover (up), smother

Near Antonyms of Belie

demonstrate, discover, evince, exhibit, flaunt, parade, show off, document, evidence, record, support, witness, back (up), buttress, corroborate, substantiate, adduce, attest, authenticate, certify, identify, illustrate, manifest, bring out, present, clarify, illuminate, advertise, air, broadcast

Word Forms of Belie

Inflections: belied, belying

Derived words: belier (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Belie

Middle English belien, going back to Old English belēogan, from be- be- + lēogan "to lie:3"

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Belie

Frequently Asked Questions about Belie

What does "Belie" mean?

"Belie" means to give a false impression of. As a verb, it is defined as: to give a false impression of. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Belie"?

Other words for "Belie" include misrepresent, confound, confute, debunk, disconfirm, discredit, disprove and falsify. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Belie" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Belie"?

There are 75 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Belie". Common alternatives include misrepresent, confound, confute, debunk, disconfirm, discredit, disprove, falsify, rebut and refute.

What is the opposite of "Belie"?

Antonyms of "Belie" include betray, represent, confirm, establish, prove, validate, verify and bare. Near antonyms include demonstrate, discover, evince and exhibit.

How do you use "Belie" in a sentence?

Examples of "Belie" in a sentence: "his bright smile belied his actual mood, which was really one of great sadness"; "the latest information belies the old theory"; "the security council issued false assurances that belied the true gravity of the situation".

Is "Belie" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Belie" is a verb.

Is "Belie" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C2-level word, "Belie" is typical of Cambridge C2 Proficiency (CPE), IELTS band 8.5–9.0, TOEFL iBT 114–120, PTE Academic 85–90. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Belie"?

"Belie" is pronounced /bi-ˈlī/ and divided into syllables as be·lie.