lie
gb/lˈaɪ/ us/lˈaɪ/
A1
Anglais
~ 500
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
A2
action
1
Say something untrue to mislead
To say something that is not true so that another person will believe it.
Schéma d’usage :
to lie to [someone] about [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'lie' meaning 'to say something false' with 'lay', which means 'to put something down'.
Synonymes
fib (A mild or small lie, often about something unimportant.)
|
deceive (Broader term meaning to make someone believe something untrue; not always by direct lying.)
Antonymes
tell the truth (To state facts accurately without deception.)
Collocations
lie to someone
|lie about something
|tell a lie
|caught lying
|blatant lie
Thèmes
communication
|ethics
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She lied to her boss about why she was late.
- He lied when he said he had finished the report.
- I can't believe you lied about your age.
- They lied to the police during the investigation.
Exemples pédagogiques
- He lied to his teacher about his homework.
- She lied about where she was last night.
- I lied to my friend because I was scared.
- They lied to get more money.
Verbe
A1
action
2
Be in a flat position
To be on a surface with your body flat or mostly flat.
Schéma d’usage :
to lie [somewhere]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners often confuse 'lie' in this sense with 'lay', which is used when placing something down.
Synonymes
recline (More formal; often suggests leaning back in comfort.)
Antonymes
stand (To be upright on one's feet instead of lying down.)
Collocations
lie down
|lie in bed
|lie on the floor
|lie flat
|lie still
Thèmes
daily life
|physical actions
|body
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- She lay on the sofa watching TV.
- The cat likes to lie in the sun.
- He lay down for a nap after lunch.
- Please lie still while I take your photo.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I like to lie on the grass.
- He lies in bed every morning.
- She lies on the sofa after work.
- The baby lies in the crib.
Nom
A2
entity
3
An untrue statement made to deceive
Something that a person says that is not true, to make another person believe it.
Synonymes
falsehood (Slightly more formal; refers broadly to untrue statements.)
Antonymes
truth (A statement that is accurate and factual.)
Collocations
tell a lie
|big lie
|white lie
|caught in a lie
|pack of lies
Thèmes
communication
|ethics
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- That was a complete lie, and you know it.
- He told a lie to protect his friend.
- Her story was full of lies.
- I don't believe you—it's a lie.
Exemples pédagogiques
- That is a lie.
- He told a lie about his age.
- She said a lie to her parents.
- This story is a lie.
Verbe
B1
state
4
Be situated or located somewhere
To be in a place or situation.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] lies [somewhere]
Synonymes
rest (Can mean to be located somewhere; more formal and less common in everyday speech.)
Antonymes
stand elsewhere (Not located in the specified place; opposite in context-specific sense.)
Collocations
lie ahead
|lie in ruins
|lie at the heart of
|lie near
|lie between
Thèmes
geography
|descriptions
|space
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The village lies in a valley between two hills.
- The problem lies in our lack of planning.
- The city lies on the coast.
- The answer lies within this book.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The school lies next to the park.
- The town lies near the river.
- The answer lies in this text.
- The farm lies far from here.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
lie
API
GB/lˈaɪ/
US/lˈaɪ/
Syllabes et accentuation
lie (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (lie)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: lie
- Plural: lies
Verb
- Base: lie
- 3rd Person Singular: lies
- Present Participle: lying
- Past: lay, lied
- Past Participle: lied
Famille de mots
Expressions
caught in a lie
1/kˈɔt ˈɪn ə lˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
Found out telling an untruth
When someone finds out you said something that is not true.
Exemples
- He was caught in a lie during the interview.
- She got caught in a lie about her past work experience.
lie ahead
1/lˈaɪ əhˈɛd/
fixed phrase
Exist in the future ahead of someone/something
To be going to happen in the future.
Exemples
- We don't know what challenges lie ahead.
- A long journey lies ahead of us.
lie down
1/lˈaɪ dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
Move into flat resting position
To put your body flat on a surface so you can rest or sleep.
Exemples
- I need to lie down for a few minutes.
- He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes.
white lie
1/wˈaɪt lˈaɪ/
idiom
A harmless or small lie to be polite or kind
A small lie you tell so someone will not feel bad or be hurt.
Exemples
- She told a white lie about liking the gift.
- I told her a white lie about liking her cooking so she wouldn’t feel bad.
- Sometimes it's kinder to tell a white lie than the truth.
- Sometimes a white lie can save a friendship.