lying

¹ American  

[lahy-ing] / ˈlaɪ ɪŋ /

noun

1. the telling of lies, or false statements; untruthfulness.

   From boyhood, he has never been good at lying.

   Synonyms:

   prevarication, mendacity, falsity, falsehood

   Antonyms:

   veracity, truth

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adjective

1. telling or containing lies; deliberately untruthful; deceitful; false.

   a lying report.

   Synonyms:

   counterfeit, sham, fallacious, mendacious, misleading, deceptive

   Antonyms:

   trustworthy, accurate, correct, actual, candid, true

lying ² American  

[lahy-ing] / ˈlaɪ ɪŋ /

verb

1. present participle of lie.

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lying ¹ British  

/ ˈlaɪɪŋ /

verb

1. the present participle and gerund of lie 1

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lying ² British  

/ ˈlaɪɪŋ /

verb

1. the present participle and gerund of lie 2

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Other Word Forms

• lyingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of lying

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; lie ¹, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Toni Jaramilla, the attorney for Cowser, said in a written statement that the police department “failed to correct the false narrative” even when videos proved the officer was lying.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

After years of refusing to embrace wearable fitness trackers, Pamela Paul discovered she’d already inadvertently succumbed—she had an iPhone and therefore a fitness app; its built-in ring was lying in wait.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The number of satellites lying 100 to 1,200 miles beyond the Earth’s surface is expected to increase from about 11,000 presently to roughly 130,000 by 2035, Stein noted.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

Rescuers coaxed him away but only as far as nearby Poel Island, where he is now lying on the seabed.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

“She’ll think you’re trying to steal business from her, and the miller will probably withhold our rations, the lying cheat.”

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• misleading