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
-
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
Related Words
See misrepresent.
Other Word Forms
- belier noun
Etymology
Origin of belie
First recorded before 1000; Middle English belyen, Old English belēogan; be-, lie 1
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
“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
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
The third-person voice, and his analytical distance, belie Thucydides’ first-person experience.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025
I make myself as small as possible, as if my size could belie our closeness.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
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.
