lie
verb · noun
Simple meaning
To rest in a horizontal position on a surface.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
lyIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈlaɪ
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.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
intransitive
To rest in a horizontal position on a surface.
Be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
intransitive
To be placed or situated.
intransitivecopulative
To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in a certain state or condition.
Be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position
To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest.
noun
Position or manner in which something is situated
A manner of lying; relative position.
An intentionally false statement; an intentional falsehood.
A statement intended to deceive, even if literally true.
Norwegian diplomat who was the first Secretary General of the United Nations (1896-1968)
A Norwegian surname.
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: To rest in a horizontal position on a surface.
Used this way, lie is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Gentle
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- 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 lie
- “The fate of Bosnia lies in the hands of the West.”verb
- “Lie down on the bed until you feel better.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Commonly Confused With
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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.