belie
[bih-lahy]
- 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.
Show More
Origin of belie
Synonyms
See more synonyms for belie on Thesaurus.comAntonyms
1. prove, verify, support.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for belied
Contemporary Examples
But his words felt forced and were belied his 2004 vote to oppose marking Martin Luther King Jr.
There were, though, other loves that belied the appearance of a desiccated, workaholic spinster.
With a soft smile and a shrug that belied by his steely eyes, he replied, “Start another.”
He belied his stated remorse as it became clear his primary regret was that he had landed himself behind bars.
Spike, she of the punk-rocker hair that belied a gentle personality, eventually opted to keep the baby (Emma).
Historical Examples
Four years of new experience have not belied our historic instinct.
He had a feeling of security that was belied by all his experience with men.
White FangJack London
But her rich tones were full of a genuine eagerness that belied the look.
The Law-BreakersRidgwell Cullum
The mournful irony of the words was belied by the tremulous voice.
The Eternal CityHall Caine
"I trust not," said Gregory, in accents of relief that belied him.
The Tavern KnightRafael Sabatini
belie
- 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
Show More
Word Origin
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
v.
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").
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper