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
-
to misrepresent; disguise the nature of
the report belied the real extent of the damage
-
to fail to justify; disappoint
Synonym Usage
See misrepresent.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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beliesimple
-
beliessimple
-
have beliedperfect
-
has beliedperfect
-
am belyingprogressive
-
are belyingprogressive
-
is belyingprogressive
-
have been belyingperfect progressive
-
has been belyingperfect progressive
Past
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beliedsimple
-
had beliedperfect
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was belyingprogressive
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were belyingprogressive
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had been belyingperfect progressive
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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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.
See Examples For:
His genial demeanour and penchant for folksy parables belie a past as a wily guerrilla fighter and ruthless political survivor.
From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026
And very little that transpires between the current-day Chase and his director would belie the notion that Mr. Chase’s brand has gone down a hole of his own digging.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 30, 2025
Horvath’s Midwestern mien, unflagging politeness and warm smile belie her fierce ambition.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
"Outward appearance shouldn't belie what lies beneath," Mr Marchant said.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2025
I make myself as small as possible, as if my size could belie our closeness.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
Gannon-Doak is a really exciting prospect but his elevated status with Scotland belies the fact that he's been injured and has only played 150 minutes for Bournemouth this season.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
The roughly 3,000-person community belies South Dakota’s flat-plains stereotype, feeling closer to a western ski village than a Midwestern farm town.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
The relative trickle of oil passing through the Gulf and the release of oil from reserves is such that, according to Pyziur, belies another potential problem: the lack of fertilizer coming out of Gulf countries.
From Salon ● Mar. 26, 2026
Truss's position at fifth in the table belies her record as the shortest serving prime minister.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026
A kind of city-street music where laughter belies anxiety, and joy is as short and straight as the blade of a pocketknife.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
For years, Wimbledon has been the one Grand Slam that never quite agreed with Gauff’s all-court game, a stretch that belied her promising breakthrough seven years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
A gutsy performance which belied their status as the tournament's lowest-ranked team.
From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026
Nakai belied her years as the youngest competitor in Milan.
From Barron's ● Feb. 20, 2026
At 27, Duop’s youthful face belied a life marked by war and poverty.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025
Others watched the family gliding by with a tiny bit of jealousy and a whole lot of amusement, for Macon’s wide green Packard belied what they thought a car was for.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
And belying urban legends, there was no link to the Biblical story of Adam and Eve or the death of computing pioneer Alan Turing.
From Barron's ● Mar. 29, 2026
Healthy-seeming flowering on trees like Murphy’s could be a “false start” belying the plant’s sickness, Smith said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2025
Charles Leclerc took the final podium position, belying his pre-race pessimism, fending off the McLaren of Oscar Piastri for the final 27 laps.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2024
Leonardo told the full story gradually, circling back to reveal more details, his quiet, matter-of-fact tone belying the horror of his account.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 13, 2024
She wasn't rich in life, her clothing belying her poverty, and even her death has been insulting.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
