belie
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to show to be false; contradict.
His trembling hands belied his calm voice.
- Antonyms:
- support, verify, substantiate, confirm, prove
-
to misrepresent.
The newspaper belied the facts.
-
to act unworthily according to the standards of (a tradition, one's ancestry, one's faith, etc.).
-
Archaic. to lie about; slander.
verb
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to show to be untrue; contradict
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to misrepresent; disguise the nature of
the report belied the real extent of the damage
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to fail to justify; disappoint
Synonym Usage
See misrepresent.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have beliedperfect
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has beliedperfect 3rd person singular
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am belyingprogressive 1st person singular
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is belyingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been belyingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been belyingperfect progressive
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are belyingprogressive
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belyingparticiple
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beliessingular 3rd person
Past
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had beliedperfect
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beliedsimple
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were belyingprogressive plural
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had been belyingperfect progressive
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was belyingprogressive singular
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beliedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of belie
First recorded before 1000; Middle English belyen, Old English belēogan; see be-, lie 1
Explanation
To belie means to contradict. If you are 93 but look like you are 53, then your young looks belie your age. We get belie from the Old English beleogan, which meant "to deceive by lying." It suggests characteristics or behavior that inadvertently or deliberately hide the truth. To remember it, just think "be lying." Snow White's decision to barge into the Seven Dwarfs' home without invitation belied her gentle nature.
Vocabulary lists containing belie
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100 Words Every High School Graduate Should Know
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The aforementioned film inspired by his life shows what it’s like to live with involuntary vocal tics that belie your own beliefs or intentions.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026
He casts the country as crime-ridden, though the data belie him again.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 11, 2025
But the braggadocio both in terms of the AI investment cycle and Nvidia’s place at the top of it, seems to belie a greater degree of concern than the company would likely admit.
From Barron's • Nov. 26, 2025
Horvath’s Midwestern mien, unflagging politeness and warm smile belie her fierce ambition.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 16, 2025
Helmuth hates the drums, hates how they quicken his blood, how they belie his true feelings and try to convince him that war is good.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
