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Synonyms

lie-in

1 American  
[lahy-in] / ˈlaɪˌɪn /

noun

  1. a protest demonstration in which participants lie down in a public place against regulations and resist being moved.

lie-in 2 American  
[lahy-in] / ˈlaɪˌɪn /

noun

Chiefly British.

  1. an act or instance of staying in bed longer than usual, especially in the morning.

lie in British  

verb

  1. to remain in bed late in the morning

  2. to be confined in childbirth

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a long stay in bed in the morning

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
lie in Idioms  

  1. Be in confinement for childbirth, as in She thought she'd be lying in by next week . This usage is probably dying out. The name of Boston's Lying-In Hospital was changed to Women's Hospital in the 1970s. [Mid-1400s]

  2. Also, . Rest or depend on something or someone, as in The solution lies in research , or The decision lies in the President's hands , or It does not lie in my power to turn this situation around . [Mid-1300s] Also see lie in wait ; lie through one's teeth .

Etymology

Origin of lie-in1

First recorded in 1960–65; lie 2, -in 3

Origin of lie-in2

First recorded in 1865–70; noun use of verb phrase lie in

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.

Mr James said: "I haven't had a day off in seven months so I'm quite looking forward to the prospect of a lie-in and not having to complete 26 miles tomorrow."

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2025

Some people used the Easter Monday bank holiday as a chance to have a much-needed lie-in.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2025

He likes the lie-in, too, because it annoys the wrong people.

From New York Times • Apr. 20, 2020

Even at their busiest, Suuronen did not employ more than a dozen people and each started work at 10am, thanks to the boss’s fondness for a lie-in.

From The Guardian • Aug. 22, 2018

Chased from our classic souls shall be All thoughts of vulgar progeny; And thou shalt walk through smiling rows Of chubby duodecimos, While I, to match thy products nearly, Shall lie-in of a quarto yearly.

From The Complete Poems of Sir Thomas Moore Collected by Himself with Explanatory Notes by Rossetti, William Michael

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.