lying
1 Americannoun
adjective
verb
verb
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of lying
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; see origin at lie 1, -ing 1, -ing 2
Explanation
If you engage in lying, you're fabricating, prevaricating, or speaking falsely. You are deliberately deviating from the truth. If lying is the act of telling a lie, then "lying through your teeth" is the act of telling a bold lie, even if you know your listener will immediately know you're lying. Descended from a line in a Marx Brothers film, "Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?" is spoken (ironically) by someone who's been caught lying and, instead of admitting it, says the evidence is wrong, as well as the person who's looking right at it.
Vocabulary lists containing lying
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.
Roy Keane has cleared the air with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, with the pair having a "lovely chat" after he misquoted the Portuguese - which led to Fernandes accusing him of lying.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
After calling the vest-adorned dog on stage and joking that she would bite Clark, he bellowed, “Is she lying, too?”
From Salon • Jun. 8, 2026
And change doesn’t need to be taken lying down.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026
According to Platner, Fifield is lying on all counts.
From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026
And so, that very hour, lying there on my bed, I whispered the enormous prayer:
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
