Lie Flat

[lahy flat]

verb (used without object)

1. to reject overwork and withdraw voluntarily from relentless competition and pressure to achieve.

noun

1. Lying Flat.

Other Word Forms

• Lie Flatter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of Lie Flat¹

First recorded in 2021; translation of Chinese tǎng píng “lie flat (and get over the beatings),” a lifestyle choice and social protest movement begun by some young people in China

Example Sentences

Yet the pressures - the ones that are pushing more Chinese youth to quit the rat race, "lie flat" and take their frustrations out online - remain.

Read more on BBC

“So get on a cot or on a sleeping bag,” he said, “and lie flat on your back and look straight up.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

With unemployment on the rise, millions of college graduates have been forced to accept low-wage jobs, while others have embraced a “lie flat” attitude, pushing back against relentless work.

Read more on BBC

Some have preferred to “lie flat,” a Chinese slang term used to describe young people opting to take a break from the labor market instead of competing.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Dong Xue, 28, said her time at Guanye allowed her to figure out the next step in her career, rather than “lie flat.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times