Lying — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈlī-iŋ/ ly·ing

Meaning & Definition of Lying

Lying (adjective)

  1. marked by or containing untrue statements, false

Lying (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. telling or containing lies

    "that lying son of a gun told me that the used car had never been in an accident"

    similar: dishonest, mendacious, untruthful
    related: erroneous, fallacious, false, misleading, untrue, double-dealing, hypocrite, hypocritical, insincere, mealymouthed, smooth-tongued, two-faced, perjurious
    opposite: honest, truthful, veracious
    near: candid, open, plainspoken, straightforward, earnest, sincere, true, conscientious, moral, principled, scrupulous, dependable, reliable, trustable, trustworthy, trusty, decent, ethical, honorable, just, respectable, righteous, right-minded, straight, upright, upstanding, virtuous

Lying (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in mendacity, prevarication

    similar: equivocation, mendacity, prevarication, artifice, cheating, cozenage, craft, craftiness, crookedness, crookery, cunning, cunningness, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, deceptiveness, dishonesty, dissembling, dissimulation, double-dealing, dupery, duplicity, fakery, foxiness, fraud, guile, guilefulness, wiliness, chicane, chicanery, fraudulence, hanky-panky, jugglery, legerdemain, mountebankery, obliquity, skulduggery, subterfuge, swindling, trickery, wile, falsehood, falsity, fib, untruth, hypocrisy, insincerity, sanctimoniousness, two-facedness, artfulness, caginess, deviousness, shrewdness, treacherousness, underhandedness, unscrupulousness, covertness, furtiveness, secrecy, shadiness, sneakiness, stealthiness, oiliness, shiftiness, slickness, slipperiness, slyness, smoothness
    opposite: artlessness, forthrightness, good faith, guilelessness, ingenuousness, sincerity, candidness, candor, directness, frankness, openness, plainness, plainspokenness, honesty, probity, dependability, reliability, reliableness, solidity, trustability, trustiness, trustworthiness, decency, goodness, incorruptibility, integrity, righteousness, truthfulness, uprightness, virtuousness

Lying (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to make a statement one knows to be untrue

    "would I lie to you about that?"

    similar: fabricating, fibbing, prevaricating
    related: forswearing, perjuring, equivocating, fudging, paltering, beguiling, cozening, deceiving, deluding, duping, fooling, gulling, hoaxing, hoodwinking, kidding, snowing, taking in, tricking, defaming, libeling, slandering, traducing, falsifying, misreporting, misrepresenting, misstating, distorting, garbling, dissembling, dissimulating, misguiding, misinforming, misleading
    near: asserting, swearing, testifying, authenticating, confirming, substantiating, validating, verifying

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

    "the train tracks lie just over that hill"

    similar: bearing, extending, going, heading, leading, running
    related: crossing, cutting, passing, coursing, following, spanning, traversing

  3. to occupy a place or location

    "I left the book lying on the counter"

    similar: bearing, being, sitting, standing
    related: commanding, overlooking, hanging around, remaining, resting, staying, sticking around, tarrying, awaiting, waiting, posting, stationing, dwelling, residing

  4. to remain out of sight

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

    similar: hiding, holing up, lurking, reposing, skulking, lying low, sitting tight
    related: slinking, sneaking, avoiding, eluding, evading
    opposite: appearing
    near: coming out, materializing, showing up, turning up

Related Entry: Lie (verb)

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

  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

Related Entry: Lie (verb)

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

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. 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

Related Entry: Lying (down) (verb)

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

  1. as in couching, reclining

    similar: couching, reclining, dozing, dropping off, napping, nodding, sleeping, slumbering, snoozing, bunking, perching, roosting, settling, bedding, crashing (slang), dossing (down) (chiefly British), retiring, turning in
    opposite: arising, getting up, rising, uprising, arousing, awakening, awaking, rousing, wakening, waking, bestirring, stirring, reawakening, reawaking, shifting

Related Entry: Lying back (verb)

Lying back is a different word from Lying. The synonyms below are for lying back, not for lying.

  1. as in reclining

    similar: reclining, lounging, slouching, squatting, straddling, flopping, flumping, planking, plopping, plumping, plunking, sprawling, spreading (out), stretching (out), basking, kicking back, lolling, relaxing, reposing, resting, perching, setting (chiefly dialect), sitting, splaying, expanding, extending, fanning (out), flaring (out), opening, outspreading, outstretching, unfolding, unfurling
    opposite: arising, getting up, rising, standing

Related Entry: Lying up (verb)

Lying up is a different word from Lying. The synonyms below are for lying up, not for lying.

  1. as in sleeping, resting

    similar: catnapping, dozing, dropping off, napping, nodding, resting, sleeping, slumbering, snoozing, bedding (down), retiring, turning in, bunking, perching, roosting, settling, couching, dossing (down) (chiefly British), flopping (down), lying (down), reclining
    opposite: arising, getting up, rising, rolling out, turning out, uprising, arousing, awakening, awaking, bestirring, stirring, waking

Related Entry: Lying-in (noun)

Lying-in is a different word from Lying. The synonyms below are for lying-in, not for lying.

  1. as in confinement, childbed

    similar: childbed, confinement, cesarean section, natural childbirth, pregnancy, birth pang, contraction, pains, accouchement, childbearing, childbirth, delivery, labor, parturition, travail

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Lying

The most common words with a similar meaning to Lying:

dishonest, mendacious, untruthful, equivocation, mendacity, prevarication, artifice, cheating, cozenage, craft, craftiness, crookedness, crookery, cunning, cunningness, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, deceptiveness, dishonesty, dissembling, dissimulation, double-dealing, dupery, duplicity, fakery, foxiness, fraud, guile, guilefulness, wiliness, chicane, chicanery, fraudulence, hanky-panky, jugglery, legerdemain, mountebankery, obliquity, skulduggery

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Lying

Words with the opposite meaning of Lying:

honest, truthful, veracious, artlessness, forthrightness, good faith, guilelessness, ingenuousness, sincerity, candidness, candor, directness, frankness, openness, plainness, plainspokenness, honesty, probity, dependability, reliability, reliableness, solidity, trustability, trustiness, trustworthiness, decency, goodness, incorruptibility, integrity, righteousness

Related Words for Lying

erroneous, fallacious, false, misleading, untrue, hypocrite, hypocritical, insincere, mealymouthed, smooth-tongued, two-faced, perjurious, forswearing, perjuring, equivocating, fudging, paltering, beguiling, cozening, deceiving, deluding, duping, fooling, gulling, hoaxing, hoodwinking, kidding, snowing, taking in, tricking

Near Antonyms of Lying

candid, open, plainspoken, straightforward, earnest, sincere, true, conscientious, moral, principled, scrupulous, dependable, reliable, trustable, trustworthy, trusty, decent, ethical, honorable, just, respectable, righteous, right-minded, straight, upright, upstanding, virtuous, asserting, swearing, testifying

Origin & Etymology of Lying

Middle English leghynge, present participle of lien "to lie:3"

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Lying

lying-in, lying fallow, low-lying, take (something) lying down

Frequently Asked Questions about Lying

What does "Lying" mean?

"Lying" means marked by or containing untrue statements, false. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: marked by or containing untrue statements, false. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Lying"?

Other words for "Lying" include dishonest, mendacious, untruthful, equivocation, mendacity, prevarication, artifice and cheating. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Lying" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Lying"?

There are 159 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Lying". Common alternatives include dishonest, mendacious, untruthful, equivocation, mendacity, prevarication, artifice, cheating, cozenage and craft.

What is the opposite of "Lying"?

Antonyms of "Lying" include honest, truthful, veracious, artlessness, forthrightness, good faith, guilelessness and ingenuousness. Near antonyms include candid, open, plainspoken and straightforward.

How do you use "Lying" in a sentence?

Examples of "Lying" in a sentence: "that lying son of a gun told me that the used car had never been in an accident"; "would I lie to you about that?"; "the train tracks lie just over that hill".

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

"Lying" can be used as an adjective, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Lying"?

"Lying" is pronounced /ˈlī-iŋ/ and divided into syllables as ly·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Lying"?

"Lying" comes from Middle English leghynge, present participle of lien "to lie:3". First known use: 14th century.