belie
Americanverb (used with object)
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belies,
present (3rd person singular)
-
belied,
past participle, past
-
belying
present participle
-
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.
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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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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beliesimple
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beliessimple
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have beliedperfect
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has beliedperfect
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am belyingprogressive
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are belyingprogressive
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is belyingprogressive
-
have been belyingperfect progressive
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has been belyingperfect progressive
Past
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beliedsimple
-
had beliedperfect
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was belyingprogressive
-
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:
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
“It’s not just work on the sport, not just to teach me the jumps,” said Carrillo, whose slender 5-foot-7 build and wide smile belie a fierce competitiveness that sometimes has been his worst enemy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2026
He casts the country as crime-ridden, though the data belie him again.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 11, 2025
The lack of official U.S. government data doesn’t belie what’s happening.
From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2025
I make myself as small as possible, as if my size could belie our closeness.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
The recent subdued action in crude belies a bigger problem brewing in refined products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Such an impressive classical pedigree belies the “gremlins of self-doubt” that have plagued Hopkins for much of his life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
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
All of this soft-drink soft power belies an uneasy truth for Diet Coke fanatics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 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
Chloe Kelly has plenty to keep her busy - but the conviction she shows on the pitch and in front of the camera has belied trickier times behind the scenes.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
It is a fascinating idea, belied only by the weakness of a Spanish colonial government that eventually proved unable even to hold on to Mexico.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 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
His thin hands belied a firm grip, as if steel hid beneath the moisturized skin.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
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
What followed was an outstanding display of batting elegance, belying Bethell's years and experience.
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2026
In the dirt lot behind the pit rooms, Ryan Maifield was stationed at the company tent for Tekno, an RC manufacturer, his shaggy beard and worn-in sneakers belying his global RC stardom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2025
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
“Janna, I made your favorite, salmon cakes,” Mom calls from too close to the door, her breathing, uneven and stressed, belying her chipper words.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
