Lie — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈlī/

Meaning & Definition of Lie

Lie (verb)

  1. to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position, be prostrate, rest, recline
  2. to assume a horizontal position —often used with down
  3. to reside temporarily, stay for the night, lodge
  4. to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
  5. to create a false or misleading impression
  6. to bring about by telling lies

Lie (noun)

  1. lay
  2. the position or situation in which something lies
  3. the haunt of an animal (such as a fish), covert
  4. an assertion of something known or believed by the speaker or writer to be untrue with intent to deceive
  5. an untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker or writer
  6. something that misleads or deceives

Lie (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a statement one knows to be untrue

    "would I lie to you about that?"

    similar: fabricate, fib, prevaricate
    related: forswear, perjure, equivocate, fudge, palter, beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, kid, snow, take in, trick, defame, libel, slander, traduce, falsify, misreport, misrepresent, misstate, distort, garble, dissemble, dissimulate, misguide, misinform, mislead
    near: assert, swear, testify, authenticate, confirm, substantiate, validate, verify

  2. to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction

    "the train tracks lie just over that hill"

    similar: bear, extend, go, head, lead, run
    related: cross, cut, pass, course, follow, span, traverse

  3. to occupy a place or location

    "I left the book lying on the counter"

    similar: be, bear, sit, stand
    related: command, overlook, hang around, remain, rest, stay, stick around, tarry, await, wait, post, station, dwell, reside

  4. to remain out of sight

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

    similar: hide, hole up, lurk, repose, skulk, lie low, sit tight
    related: slink, sneak, avoid, elude, evade
    opposite: appear
    near: come out, materialize, show up, turn up

Lie (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a statement known by its maker to be untrue and made in order to deceive

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

    similar: fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, fib, mendacity, prevarication, story, tale, taradiddle, untruth, whopper
    related: distortion, exaggeration, half-truth, ambiguity, equivocation, obliquity, defamation, libel, slander, perjury, bluff, fiction, pose, pretense, humbug, jive, nonsense, canard, fallacy, misconception, myth, falsification, misinformation, misreport, misrepresentation, misstatement, deceit, deceitfulness, dishonesty, duplicity, fraudulence
    opposite: truth
    near: fact, truism, verity, honesty, truthfulness, veracity, authentication, confirmation, substantiation, validation, verification

Related Entry: Lie detector (noun)

Lie detector is a different word from Lie. The synonyms below are for lie detector, not for lie.

  1. an instrument for detecting physical signs of the tension that goes with lying

    "hooked the suspect up to a lie detector before interrogating him about the robbery"

    similar: polygraph

Related Entry: Lie low (phrase)

Lie low is a different word from Lie. The synonyms below are for lie low, not for lie.

  1. to remain out of sight

    "The thief decided to lie low after a string of crimes."

    similar: hide, hole up, lie, lurk, repose, skulk, sit tight
    related: slink, sneak, avoid, elude, evade
    opposite: appear
    near: come out, materialize, show up, turn up

Related Entry: Lie (down) (verb)

Lie (down) is a different word from Lie. The synonyms below are for lie (down), not for lie.

  1. as in couch, recline

    similar: couch, recline, doze, drop off, nap, nod, sleep, slumber, snooze, bunk, perch, roost, settle, bed, crash (slang), doss (down) (chiefly British), retire, turn in
    opposite: arise, get up, rise, uprise, arouse, awake, awaken, rouse, wake, waken, bestir, stir, reawake, reawaken, shift

Related Entry: Lie back (verb)

Lie back is a different word from Lie. The synonyms below are for lie back, not for lie.

  1. as in recline

    similar: recline, lounge, slouch, squat, straddle, flop, flump, plank, plop, plump, plunk, sprawl, spread (out), stretch (out), bask, kick back, loll, relax, repose, rest, perch, set (chiefly dialect), sit, splay, expand, extend, fan (out), flare (out), open, outspread, outstretch, unfold, unfurl
    opposite: arise, get up, rise, stand

Related Entry: Lie up (verb)

Lie up is a different word from Lie. The synonyms below are for lie up, not for lie.

  1. as in sleep, rest

    similar: catnap, doze, drop off, nap, nod, rest, sleep, slumber, snooze, bed (down), retire, turn in, bunk, perch, roost, settle, couch, doss (down) (chiefly British), flop (down), lie (down), recline
    opposite: arise, get up, rise, roll out, turn out, uprise, arouse, awake, awaken, bestir, stir, wake

Related Entry: Lie detectors (noun)

Lie detectors is a different word from Lie. The synonyms below are for lie detectors, not for lie.

  1. an instrument for detecting physical signs of the tension that goes with lying

    "hooked the suspect up to a lie detector before interrogating him about the robbery"

    similar: polygraphs

Related Entry: Give the lie to (phrase)

Give the lie to is a different word from Lie. The synonyms below are for give the lie to, not for lie.

  1. to prove to be false

    "New methodologies give the lie to the notion that students who struggle with standardized tests lack intelligence."

    similar: belie, confound, confute, debunk, disconfirm, discredit, disprove, falsify, rebut, refute, shoot down
    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

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Lie

The most common words with a similar meaning to Lie:

fabricate, fib, prevaricate, bear, extend, go, head, lead, run, be, sit, stand, hide, hole up, lurk, repose, skulk, lie low, sit tight, fable, fabrication, fairy tale, falsehood, falsity, mendacity, prevarication, story, tale, taradiddle, untruth, whopper

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Lie

Words with the opposite meaning of Lie:

appear, truth

Related Words for Lie

forswear, perjure, equivocate, fudge, palter, beguile, cozen, deceive, delude, dupe, fool, gull, hoax, hoodwink, kid, snow, take in, trick, defame, libel, slander, traduce, falsify, misreport, misrepresent, misstate, distort, garble, dissemble, dissimulate

Near Antonyms of Lie

assert, swear, testify, authenticate, confirm, substantiate, validate, verify, come out, materialize, show up, turn up, fact, truism, verity, honesty, truthfulness, veracity, authentication, confirmation, substantiation, validation, verification

Word Forms of Lie

Inflections: lay, lain, lying, lied

Origin & Etymology of Lie

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

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Lie

Words & Phrases Containing Lie

lie by

Frequently Asked Questions about Lie

What does "Lie" mean?

"Lie" means to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position, be prostrate, rest, recline. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position, be prostrate, rest, recline. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Lie"?

Other words for "Lie" include fabricate, fib, prevaricate, bear, extend, go, head and lead. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Lie" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Lie"?

There are 118 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Lie". Common alternatives include fabricate, fib, prevaricate, bear, extend, go, head, lead, run and be.

What is the opposite of "Lie"?

Antonyms of "Lie" include appear and truth. Near antonyms include assert, swear, testify and authenticate.

How do you use "Lie" in a sentence?

Examples of "Lie" in a sentence: "would I lie to you about that?"; "the train tracks lie just over that hill"; "I left the book lying on the counter".

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

"Lie" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

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

As an A2-level word, "Lie" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Lie"?

"Lie" is pronounced /ˈlī/.