belie

[ bih-lahy ]

/ bɪˈlaɪ /

verb (used with object), be·lied, be·ly·ing.

to show to be false; contradict: His trembling hands belied his calm voice.

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.

Nearby words

Origin of belie

before 1000; Middle English belyen, Old English belēogan. See be-, lie¹

SYNONYMS FOR belie

1 refute, disprove, controvert, repudiate, confute, gainsay.

1, 2 See misrepresent.

ANTONYMS FOR belie

1 prove, verify, support.

Related formsbe·li·er, nounun·be·lied, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for belied

But his words felt forced and were belied his 2004 vote to oppose marking Martin Luther King Jr.
Steve Scalise Shows There’s a Fine Line Between Confederate & Southern|Lloyd Green|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
There were, though, other loves that belied the appearance of a desiccated, workaholic spinster.
Gertrude of Arabia, the Woman Who Invented Iraq|Clive Irving|June 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With a soft smile and a shrug that belied by his steely eyes, he replied, “Start another.”
Masahiro Tanaka Is the Yankees' $155M Lethal Weapon and Strikeout Machine|Allen Barra|May 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He belied his stated remorse as it became clear his primary regret was that he had landed himself behind bars.
34 Years Later, Gunshots Still Echo From a Senseless Killing|Michael Daly|March 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Spike, she of the punk-rocker hair that belied a gentle personality, eventually opted to keep the baby (Emma).
Wheels Is Dead: Remembering a Canadian Childhood|Glynnis MacNicol|March 1, 2012|DAILY BEAST
"It is nothing," he replied in a voice which belied his words.
Abb Aubain and Mosaics|Prosper Mrime
I hope that it is not a frequent feeling with me in any case, and, that if it appear so, I am belied by my own warmth of manner.
Letters of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Vol. I (of 2)|Samuel Taylor Coleridge
You believe in purity and duty and dignity, and you live in a world in which they're daily belied.
Madame de Mauves|Henry James
"Not I," answered the captain, but with a most provoking look of scepticism, which belied his words.
Tales of the Wonder Club|M. Y. Halidom (pseud. Dryasdust)
Duke de Chartres was a young Prince of great promise, as young Princes often are; which promise unfortunately has belied itself.
The French Revolution|Thomas Carlyle

British Dictionary definitions for belied

belie

/ (bɪˈlaɪ) /

verb -lies, -lying or -lied (tr)

to show to be untrue; contradict

to misrepresent; disguise the nature ofthe report belied the real extent of the damage

to fail to justify; disappoint

Derived Formsbelier, noun

Word Origin for belie

Old English belēogan; related to Old Frisian biliuga, Old High German biliugan; see be-, lie 1

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

Word Origin and History for belied

belie

Old English beleogan "to deceive by lies," from be- + lie (v.1) "to lie, tell lies." Current sense of "to contradict as a lie" is first recorded 1640s. The other verb lie once also had a formation like this, from Old English belicgan, which meant "to encompass, beleaguer," and in Middle English was a euphemism for "to have sex with" (i.e. "to lie with carnally").

belie

verb (used with object), be·lied, be·ly·ing.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of belie

Examples from the Web for belied

British Dictionary definitions for belied

belie

verb -lies, -lying or -lied (tr)

Word Origin for belie

Word Origin and History for belied

belie