lie1

Syllabification: (lie)

Pronunciation: /lī/

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Definition of lie

verb (lies, lying /ˈlī-iNG/; past lay /lā/; past participle lain /lān/)

[no object]

1(of a person or animal) be in or assume a horizontal or resting position on a supporting surface:the man lay face downward on the grass I had to lie down for two hours because I was groggy Lily lay back on the pillows and watched him
(of a thing) rest flat on a surface:a book lay open on the table
(of a dead person) be buried in a particular place.

2be, remain, or be kept in a specified state:the church lies in ruins today putting homeless families into apartments that would otherwise lie empty
(of something abstract) reside or be found:the solution lies in a return to “traditional family values.”

3(of a place) be situated in a specified position or direction:the small town of Swampscott lies about ten miles north of Boston
(of a scene) extend from the observer’s viewpoint in a specified direction:stand here, and all of Amsterdam lies before you

4 Law (of an action, charge, or claim) be admissible or sustainable.

noun

(usually the lie)

the way, direction, or position in which something lies.
Golf the position in which a golf ball comes to rest, especially as regards the ease of the next shot.
the lair or place of cover of an animal or a bird.

Phrases

let something lie: take no action regarding a controversial or problematic matter.
lie heavy on one: cause one to feel troubled or uncomfortable.
lie in state: (of the corpse of a person of national importance) be laid in a public place of honor before burial.
lie in wait: conceal oneself, waiting to surprise, attack, or catch someone.
lie low: (especially of a criminal) keep out of sight; avoid detection or attention:at the time of the murder, he appears to have been lying low in a barn
take something lying down: [usually with negative] accept an insult, setback, rebuke, etc., without reacting or protesting.

Phrasal Verbs

lie ahead: be going to happen; be in store:I’m excited by what lies ahead
lie around/about: (of an object) be left carelessly out of place:there were pills and potions lying around in every corner of the house; (of a person) pass the time lazily or aimlessly:you all just lay around all day on your backsides, didn’t you?
lie behind: be the real, often hidden, reason for (something):a subtle strategy lies behind such silly claims
lie in: British remain in bed after the normal time for getting up.; archaic (of a pregnant woman) go to bed to give birth.
lie off: Nautical (of a ship) stand some distance from shore or from another ship.
lie to: Nautical (of a ship) come almost to a stop with its head toward the wind.
lie with

Origin:

Old English licgan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch liggen and German liegen, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek lektron, lekhos and Latin lectus 'bed'

The verb lie (‘assume a horizontal or resting position’) is often confused with the verb lay (‘put something down’), giving rise to incorrect uses such as he is laying on the bed (correct use is he is lying on the bed) or why don’t you lie the suitcase on the bed? (correct use is why don’t you lay the suitcase on the bed?). The confusion is only heightened by the fact that lay is not only the base form of to lay, but is also the past tense of to lie, so while he is laying on the bed is incorrect, he lay on the bed yesterday is quite correct. For more discussion of these lie and lay verb forms, see lay¹ (usage).

lie in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of lie in the British & World English dictionary

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lie1

verb (lies, lying /ˈlī-iNG/; past lay /lā/; past participle lain /lān/)

noun

Phrases

let something lie

lie heavy on one

lie in state

lie in wait

lie low

take something lying down

Phrasal Verbs

lie ahead

lie around/about

lie behind

lie in

lie off

lie to

lie with

Origin:

lie in other Oxford dictionaries

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