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lay

verb · noun · adjective

Simple meaning

Put in a horizontal position.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

lay
US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈleɪ

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. Put in a horizontal position

    “Lay the books on the table.”

  2. transitive

    To place down in a position of rest, or in a horizontal position.

  3. Prepare or position for action or operation

  4. transitive

    To prepare (a plan, project etc.); to set out, establish (a law, principle).

  5. transitive

    To install certain building materials, laying one thing on top of another.

  6. intransitivenautical

    To take a position; to come or go.

noun

  1. Arrangement or relationship; layout.

  2. The direction a rope is twisted.

  3. The laying of eggs.

  4. A ballad or sung poem; a short poem or narrative, usually intended to be sung.

  5. A narrative poem of popular origin

  6. A lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance.

adjective

  1. Not belonging to the clergy, but associated with them.

  2. Non-professional; not being a member of an organized institution.

Word at a Glance

Difficulty
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Typical Use
Everyday English

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: Put in a horizontal position

Used this way, lay is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Heard in a sentence
“Lay the books on the table.”
Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

More ways to use lay

  • “Lay the books on the table.”verb

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Common Patterns and Combinations

How this word naturally appears with others.

lay beforelay behindlay aside

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Similar Words, What’s the Difference?

Close in meaning, but not always interchangeable.

  • repose

    Followed by on or upon: of a thing: to lie or be physically positioned on something, especially horizontally.

  • set

    To put (something) down, to rest.

  • position

    To put into place.

More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin

Synonyms

Sense: arrangement or relationship

pose

Commonly Confused With

lieLay vs. LieKnow the difference

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.