单词	lie
释义	lie1 verblie2 verblie3 noun lielie1 /laɪ/ ●●● S2 W1 verb (past tense lay /leɪ/, past participle lain /leɪn/, present participle lying, third person singular lies) Entry menu MENU FOR lielie1 flat position2 exist3 place4 future5 condition6 lie at the heart/centre/root of something7 lie low8 lie in wait (for somebody)9 lie (in) second/third/fourth etc (place)10 lie heavy on somebody11 dead person12 lie in statePhrasal verbslie aroundlie behind somethinglie downlie inlie up Verb Table VERB TABLE lie Simple Form Present I, you, we, they lie he, she, it lies Past I, you, he, she, it, we, they lay Present perfect I, you, we, they have lain he, she, it has lain Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had lain Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will lie Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have lain Continuous Form Present I am lying he, she, it is lying you, we, they are lying Past I, he, she, it was lying you, we, they were lying Present perfect I, you, we, they have been lying he, she, it has been lying Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had been lying Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will be lying Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have been lying Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES "The witness was lying through his teeth," said Davis, "and should be charged with perjury." Lie on the floor and put your legs in the air. Almost every night I lie awake in bed worrying about my family. Don't lie to me! I know where you were last night. Frank was lying there flat on his back, snoring away. Her packed suitcase was lying near the door. I looked at her face and just knew that she was lying. I spent most of the morning lying in bed. Libby switched off the light and lay on the couch, staring into the darkness. Movie stars always lie about their age. Now the town lay in ruins. Recent storms destroyed a wall that had lain undisturbed underwater for thousands of years. Several letters were lying on the table. The baby was lying on his back in his crib, perfectly content. The camera doesn't lie. The children's clothes were lying all over the bedroom floor. When they found him, he was lying face down in a pool of blood. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS He lay on the track for five minutes before being rescued by two friends who were also out riding. It doesn't set out to lie, of course, but it sometimes succeeds. Now, with the founder gone, these ominous flaws lay glaringly exposed. Public servants, like children with guns, learn to lie. She was dressed in a silk kimono and lying on the daybed when he went in. The immorality lies in the inherent wrongness of people deliberately killing other people. The jelly cupboard was on its back, its contents lying in a heap in the corner of the bottom shelf. We were both lying on our backs, our heads on our clasped hands. Thesaurus Longman Language Activatorto lie down after you have been standing or sitting► lie down to put yourself in a flat position on a surface such as a bed, especially in order to relax or to go to sleep: · You look really tired. Why don't you go and lie down for a while?· For this exercise, it is best to lie down, or sit with both feet on the floor.lie down on: · I didn't feel very well, so I lay down on the bed and tried to rest. ► lie to put yourself in a flat position on a surface: lie on: · Libby switched off the light and lay on the couch, staring into the darkness.· Lie on the floor and put your legs in the air.lie on your back/stomach: · The baby was lying on his back in his crib, perfectly content. ► stretch out to lie with your body and legs straight so that you can relax: · I think I'll go upstairs and stretch out for a little while.stretch out on: · "I'm pooped," said Homer, stretching out on his bunk. ► sprawl/sprawl out to lie or sit with your arms or legs stretched out in a lazy or careless way: sprawl/sprawl out on: · "What a beautiful day," said Olly, sprawling out on the sand.· Kerry came into the room, obviously drunk, and sprawled on the bed. to be in a lying position► lie to be in a flat position, for example on a bed or the floor: lie in/on etc: · I spent most of the morning lying in bed.lie face down: · When they found him, he was lying face down in a pool of blood.lie on your back/stomach: · Frank was lying there flat on his back, snoring away. ► recline formal to lie or lean back in a very relaxed way: recline on: · Many of Roche's earlier paintings are of young men reclining on sofas.recline in: · Reclining in a comfortable chair, David idly flipped through a magazine. ► stretched out lying with your body and legs straight in order to relax because your body is tired: · Sean was stretched out on the carpet, listening to music.· As she let herself in the front door, she caught sight of Stafford, stretched out on the sofa, a book in hand.lie stretched out: · The dog lay stretched out in front of the fire. ► sprawled/sprawled out lying or sitting with your arms or legs stretched out in a lazy or careless way: · There was Quinn, sprawled out on the grass, sound asleep.lie sprawled/sprawled out: · The children were lying sprawled out in front of the television. ► spreadeagled especially British lying flat with your arms and legs spread as wide apart as possible: · Ellen lost her balance and ended up spreadeagled on her back on the pavement.· The court heard how he confronted the couple, forced them to lie spreadeagled on the ground, and pointed a gun at their heads. to say or write something that is not true► lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · I looked at her face and just knew that she was lying.lie to: · Don't lie to me! I know where you were last night.lie about: · Movie stars always lie about their age.lie through your teeth (=to deliberately say something that is completely untrue, in a way that makes other people angry or upset): · "The witness was lying through his teeth," said Davis, "and should be charged with perjury." ► tell a lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · The guy's always telling lies.· Are you accusing me of telling lies?· The boys tell lies to get each other into trouble.tell somebody a lie: · Of course it's true. I wouldn't tell you a lie. ► tell tales British if someone, especially a child, tells tales , they tell lies about someone else, in order to make you believe that the other person has behaved badly: · Daisy Venables, you naughty girl, have you been telling tales again?tell tales on: · According to the children, telling tales on each other was as bad as cheating. ► tell fibs also tell porkies British informal to tell lies, especially ones that are not very important - used especially by children: · Now, Martin, you mustn't tell fibs.· His mother says that he sometimes tells fibs. ► fib to tell a lie - especially one that is not very important: · When she asked if they wanted to stay for tea, Larry fibbed and said they had a few errands to run.fib about: · He fibbed about his age. ► be economical with the truth especially British to not tell the whole truth about something - use this in a humorous way to say indirectly that someone is lying: · Don't you feel like you're being a bit economical with the truth here?· Leonard had, as he put it, been "economical with the truth" at times. ► perjury the crime of telling a lie in a court of law when you have promised to tell the truth: commit perjury: · Do you realise that by lying to the court you have committed perjury?charge somebody with perjury: · Both witnesses are accused of giving false evidence and will likely be charged with perjury.find somebody guilty of perjury: · Hall was found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice. something untrue that is said or written► lie something that you say which you know is not true: · Jim said that he was planning to stay home and watch TV, but I knew it was a lie.lie about: · How can the newspapers print all these lies about her?a pack of lies (=so many lies that you feel shocked or angry): · He called the report "a pack of lies".a bald-faced/an outright/a downright lie (=a clear and shocking lie): · Davenport said the congressman's allegations were nothing more than "downright lies". ► white lie a lie that does not harm anyone, especially one that is told in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings: · It's just a little white lie. No real harm done.· I told him his suit looked wonderful, which was a white lie.· "I'm sorry I couldn't come. I had a really bad headache," she explained, resorting to a white lie. ► fib informal a lie, especially one that is not very important: · You're not telling me a fib, are you?fib about: · I had to make up some fib about why I was late. ► falsehood formal an untrue statement or story, especially one that has been carefully and deliberately invented to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · Mudge, in a written statement Wednesday, said the article was a collection of "falsehoods and misinformation".spread a falsehood: · Why Campbell had chosen to spread such a falsehood is a mystery. ► half-truth a statement that is almost a lie because it does not tell the whole truth about something: · McCarthy's blend of half-truths and lies ruined many careers in government and the professions.· Forbes' book on Bonham is littered with half-truths, and, in some cases, outright lies. ► misinformation incorrect information, especially information that is deliberately intended to deceive people: · According to Kramer, the Internet is a storehouse of lies and misinformation.misinformation about: · "For months, the Democrats have run television commercials filled with misinformation about the Republican Party," said Dawson. ► disinformation false information which is given deliberately in order to hide the truth or confuse people, especially in political situations: · The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the report as "disinformation".disinformation about: · Logan said government agents are still spreading disinformation about leaders of the political reform movement. ► propaganda false or partly false information that is spread by a government or political organization, in order to make people support and agree with their political aims and beliefs: · Propaganda is a tool of war.Communist/US etc propaganda: · Radio Marti is still there, spewing its US propaganda across the waters toward Cuba.propaganda campaign (=an organized plan to spread propaganda): · In Najaf, Khomeini had begun a propaganda campaign against the Shah.anti-Western/anti-Communist/anti-Labour etc propaganda: · a piece of anti-Communist propaganda ► smear campaign when people tell lies about someone in the newspapers, on television etc, in order to make people have a bad opinion of that person: mount a smear campaign against somebody: · The Labour Party mounted a smear campaign against Livingstone before the election. to invent a false story, excuse, name etc► make up to think of a story, excuse, explanation etc that is not true, especially in order to deceive people or to protect yourself: make up something: · I gave her the wrong name, and made up a telephone number with a Los Angeles area code.make something/it up: · You don't have to tell him why, just make something up. ► invent to think of a story, excuse, name etc that is not true in order to deceive people: · I invented reasons for never seeing him again.· He began inventing excuses for why he had done nothing to help.· He invented fictional ancestors and a family history to impress the girls. ► fabricate formal to think of a false story, piece of information etc in order to deceive people or prevent them from discovering the truth: · Officials were accused of fabricating the evidence that was given at the trial.· The woman said she fabricated her testimony because she thought she was going to get a $10,000 reward. ► cook up informal /concoct formal to spend time thinking of a false story, excuse, plant etc, especially with other people: · I cooked up an excuse so I could leave early.· His lawyers concocted a theory that the police had planted the evidence against him.cook up a scheme: · He cooked up some crazy scheme for making money, and ended up being arrested. someone who lies► liar · She may be stupid, but she's not a liar.call somebody a liar · Are you calling me a liar?compulsive/habitual/pathological liar (=someone who cannot stop telling lies) · Coleman described the president as a "pathological liar" and "a criminal in the White House." ► fibber someone who tells lies, especially ones that are not very important: · You are such a fibber! to hide yourself► hide to go somewhere where you cannot be easily found or seen: · Dad's coming. Quick - hide!hide under/behind/in etc: · Dale hid behind some garbage cans in the alley until the men passed.· The cat always hides under the bed when we have visitors.hide from: · Why is he hiding from us? Is he afraid? ► go into hiding to go to a safe place where you can hide for a long time because you are in danger or because the police are looking for you: · He went into hiding soon after the government denounced him.· Police believe the robbers have gone into hiding. ► lie low to hide from people who are trying to catch you, and to make sure you do not attract any attention until it is safe to come out: · If you don't want to go back to jail, you'd better lie low for a while.· Weaver had been lying low at his sister's apartment for the past week. ► hole up to hide somewhere and not go out at all, especially because the police are looking for you: · We were all planning to hole up till the trouble blew over.hole up in/on etc something: · The gang holed up in a cheap hotel for a few weeks.be holed up in/on etc something: · The FBI believes that Richards is holed up on an estate in Colombia. ► stow away to hide in a ship in order to travel to a place without being noticed and without paying: · With no money, his only hope of getting to New York was to stow away on the next ship.· Customs officials discovered several illegal immigrants stowed away at the front of the ship. ► conceal yourself formal to hide yourself carefully so that you cannot be seen: · When police arrived, Black made no effort to hide or conceal herself.conceal yourself in/beneath/behind etc: · It was easy for the man to conceal himself in the museum before closing time.conceal yourself from: · Many spiders spin special webs to conceal themselves from danger. ► lie in wait to hide in a place in order to attack or stop someone you know will come there: · The tank commander feared there might be enemy soldiers lying in wait in the hills up ahead.lie in wait for: · Aitkins lay in wait for his victims and shot them as they walked toward their front door. ► lurk/skulk to wait or move around in a particular area while trying not to be seen, especially because you are going to do something wrong or something you do not want other people to know about: · Who's that skulking over there?lurk/skulk around/about: · Police received reports of a man lurking around the neighborhood.lurk/skulk in/behind/under etc: · I'm sure I saw someone lurking in the bushes just now.· He skulked along the street, looking this way and that to see if anyone was following him. to be the reason why something happened or why someone does something► be the reason to be the reason why something happened or why someone did something: be the reason for/behind: · Nick's teachers think that problems at home are the reason for his poor schoolwork.be the reason why: · He borrowed too much money, and that's the reason why his business failed.be the reason (that): · I knew that I had my weaknesses. Perhaps that is the reason that I was not more successful. ► explain if a fact or situation explains something, it helps you to understand why it happened: · We were all puzzled: what could explain his sudden change of mind?explain why/what/how: · She couldn't sleep last night, which explains why she was in such a bad mood this morning. ► account for formal to be the reason that explains why something strange or surprising happened: · If it's true that he was taking drugs, that would account for his strange behaviour. ► motivate to be someone's personal reason for doing something: · Not all people are motivated by self-interest.motivate somebody to do something: · It's frustration that motivates babies to learn to walk. ► lie behind to be the secret or hidden reason for someone's action or behaviour: · I wonder what lies behind Arthur's sudden interest in golf?· I think that behind Tania's aggression lay a deep insecurity about herself. to rest► rest to stop working or stop being active, and sit down or lie down so that you become less tired: · If you're tired, we'll stop and rest for a while.· The doctor told me to take some time off work and try to rest. ► take a rest also have a rest especially British to rest for a short time in the middle of a tiring activity: · Don't stay in front of the computer for long periods of time -- take a rest occasionally.· There was a TV in the hotel room, and sometimes I escaped up there to have a rest.take/have a rest from something: · A spokesman said that the Senator needed to take a rest from the campaign activity. ► relax to do something that makes you feel calm and comfortable and helps you to forget about your work and problems: · Take a deep breath, and relax.· They had a lovely weekend, relaxing and lying by the pool.help somebody (to) relax: · Drink this. It will help you relax. ► take a break also have a break especially British to stop what you are doing for a short time, so that you can rest: · Let's take a break now for coffee.take/have a short/quick break: · Is it all right if we have a short break at about 10:30?take/have a break from something: · I spoke to the Secretary of State as he took a break from preparing his speech. ► lie down also have a lie down/go for a lie down British to put yourself in a flat position, usually on a bed, in order to rest when you are tired, although not necessarily in order to sleep: · During the day, I get so tired I have to lie down on the bed for a couple of hours.· Towards evening she grew tired, and went to her room for a lie down. ► put your feet up informal to rest for a short time after a tiring activity, especially by sitting with your feet resting on something: · Well, at least put your feet up for a few minutes. Would you like a drink?· When you're pregnant and doing a full-time job, you must find time to put your feet up. ► laze to rest, especially by lying in a pleasant place, often when you should be working or doing something: laze in/on/around etc: · I found him lazing around in bed with a cup of coffee and the paper.· On the porch, two large cats sat lazing in the sun. ► take it easy also take things easy to do things gently and with less effort than usual in order to avoid becoming worried or tired, especially because you are not feeling strong or healthy: · After the operation, I was told to take things easy for a month or two.· Maybe we should just go home and take it easy tonight. ► chill/chill out spoken to spend time resting or doing something enjoyable which does not need much effort: · We chilled out in front of the TV with a couple of beers.· Yeah, my family left a few minutes ago, so I'm just chilling for a while. to sleep badly or be unable to sleep► sleep badly/not sleep well to wake up often during the night, and not feel rested or comfortable: · I'm sorry, I didn't sleep very well last night and it's put me in a bad mood.· They slept badly on the hard bamboo floor. ► can't get to sleep to be unable to go to sleep especially because of noise, worries, pain etc: · If you can't get to sleep, don't get up or have a meal or snack; relax and read quietly instead.· I just couldn't get to sleep, what with all the traffic and people in the street. ► not get much sleep to sleep badly and only for short periods, especially because of noise, worries, pain etc: · The people next door are having a party, so we probably won't get much sleep tonight.· She cried all last night and I didn't get much sleep either. ► be a light sleeper to be someone who is easily woken when there is any movement or noise: · I'm a light sleeper - so I woke up as soon as I heard him come in.· I just hope your dad isn't a light sleeper. ► not sleep a wink informal to not sleep at all during the night, especially because you are worried, angry, upset etc: · I was so worried, I didn't sleep a wink last night.hardly/barely sleep a wink: · He had hardly slept a wink all night, beside himself with jealousy and anger. ► lie awake to be in bed unable to sleep, especially because you are worried or excited about something: · I used to lie awake at night wondering what had happened to her.· I lay awake the whole night after I read the letter, thinking about what it could mean.· We'd lie awake, listening to our parents arguing in the room below. ► toss and turn to keep changing your position in bed because you are unable to sleep and do not feel comfortable: · She had slept badly, tossing and turning before falling into a fitful doze.· Do you fall asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow, or do you toss and turn for hours before dropping off? ► sleepless night a night when you cannot sleep at all: · After a sleepless night, she looked almost as pale and exhausted as Elinor.give somebody a sleepless night (=make someone worry so much that they cannot sleep): · He's given us a few sleepless nights over the years, but we love him.spend a sleepless night: · Tom had spent a sleepless night on the sofa. ► restless night a night during which you sleep badly, keep changing your position in bed, and wake up often: · Another restless night followed, but she determinedly settled down to work again the next morning.· I'd had quite a restless night, and breakfast didn't look appetizing. ► insomnia the inability to sleep at night: · Working outdoors all day certainly did wonders for my insomnia.· a cure for insomniasuffer from insomnia: · He suffered from insomnia and was taking sleeping pills each night.chronic insomnia (=when this happens to you a lot over a long period of time): · My mother was alarmed by my fits of weeping and chronic insomnia. ► sleeplessness an inability to sleep that continues for several nights or more: · His eyes were still red-rimmed from tears and sleeplessness.· Sleeplessness and loss of appetite are common signs of stress. Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► lie still/awake etc  She would lie awake worrying. ► fault/blame/responsibility lies with somebody  Part of the blame must lie with social services. ► the problem/answer etc lies with/in something  The difficulty lies in providing sufficient evidence. ► lies in the fact that  The strength of the book lies in the fact that the material is from classroom experience. ► herein/therein lies the problem/dilemma etc  And herein lies the key to their achievements. ► lay in store  I was wondering what lay in store for us. ► lie empty/open/hidden etc  The book lay open on the table. ► lay in ruins  The town now lay in ruins. ► Here lies  Here lies Percival Smythe (=written on a gravestone). ► leave ... lying around  If you leave your shoes lying around like that, you’ll trip over them. COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► lie ahead  Problems may lie ahead. ► lie/wait in ambush  Armed police lay in ambush behind the hedge. ► lie awake · Kate lay awake thinking about what had happened. ► barefaced lies  Why are you telling such barefaced lies? ► lie on the beach · I find it boring just lying on the beach all day. ► place/put/lay a bet on something · She placed a bet on a horse called Beethoven. ► the blame lies with somebody (=used to say that someone is responsible for something bad)· In this case, the blame lay with the police. ► lay/run a cable (=put one in position somewhere)· In the 1860s the first cables were laid under the oceans. ► fit/lay a carpet (=cut it to fit a room and fix it to the floor)· Will it cost extra to have the carpet fitted? ► draw up/lay down a code (=create one)· The syndicate decided to draw up a code of conduct for its members. ► lay down/set/impose conditions (=say what someone must agree to)· They laid down certain conditions before agreeing to the ceasefire. ► lie dead · If I’m late, Mum worries that I’m lying dead somewhere. ► lie/remain dormant  The seeds remain dormant until the spring. ► lay ... eggs  Blackbirds lay their eggs in March. ► place/lay emphasis on something formal· The coach has placed the emphasis firmly on youth by including three teenagers in the team. ► lay off employees (=stop employing them because there is no work for them to do)· Unions fear that many part-time employees will be laid off. ► lay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching)· The roof tiles are laid end to end. ► lay on/put on entertainment (=organize and provide it)· The organizers laid on some entertainment for the children. ► lie fallow  They let the land lie fallow for a year. ► lay flat  He lay flat on the floor. ► lay flat on ... back  That night I lay flat on my back and stared up at the ceiling. ► sit/lie/sleep on the floor · Officers found her lying face down on the floor. ► lay ... foundations  It took the builders three weeks to lay the foundations. ► somebody’s/something’s future lies in/with something (=it is in a particular thing)· The country’s economic future lies with its skilled workforce. ► prepare/lay the ground (=to provide the situation or conditions in which something can develop successfully) ► lay down/establish ground rules for something  Our book lays down the ground rules for building a patio successfully. ► hope lies in/with something (=something gives people hope)· Our real hope lies with a vaccine. ► lying idle  I cannot afford to leave the land lying idle. ► leave ... lying about  Don’t leave tools lying about. ► lie detector test  He was asked to take a lie detector test. ► have a lie down  I’m going upstairs to have a lie down. ► have a lie-in  I always have a lie-in on a Sunday. ► give your life/lay down your life (=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief)· These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free. ► where your loyalties lie (=who or what you are going to be loyal to)· Do your loyalties lie with your friends or your family? ► lay mines  They learnt how to lay mines (=put them in place). ► a mist hangs/lies somewhere (=stays in a place)· A thick mist lay on the hills. ► stand/sit/lie motionless  The men stood motionless as Weir held his finger to his lips. ► something’s origins lie in something (=something comes from a particular place or or develops from a particular situation)· a grape whose origins lie in northern Italy· The technique’s origins lie in the popular arts of the time. ► lay a pipe · They were digging a trench to lay water pipes. ► lay down a principle (=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English. ► the problem lies in/with something · The problem lies in the design of the rocket. ► lying prostrate  They found him lying prostrate on the floor. ► the responsibility lies with somebody (=they are responsible for it)· Ultimate responsibility for admissions lies with the Course Co-ordinator. ► be/lie at the root of something (=be the cause of something) Allergies are at the root of a lot of health problems. ► be/lie at the root of something  the liberal economic policies which lie at the root of American power ► spread lies/gossip · How dare you spread such vicious lies!· Has someone been spreading malicious gossip? ► set/lay down a standard · The government sets standards that all hospitals must reach. ► somebody's/something's strength lies in something · The show's strength lies in the fact that it appeals to all ages. ► set/lay the table (=put knives, forks etc on a table before a meal)· The table was set for fourteen. ► tell a lie · They told lies about us. ► lay/set a trap (for somebody)  Police had set a trap for hooligans at the match. ► a web of intrigue/deceit/deception/lies etc COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► about · Cod, for instance, lay about nine million eggs into the plankton.· Would I lie about a thing like this?· At least he's not lying about one thing.· What is there to lie about?· He was, in other words, fired for refusing to lie about what he thought were proper marks.· He was testing me out, leaving that cash lying about.· For a while they hang about on trees; then they die, fall off and lie about on the ground. ► ahead · Already she was terrified of what lay ahead.· Although generally optimistic, Dan knew that more challenges lay ahead.· We the undersigned, senior members of the world's scientific community, hereby warn all humanity what lies ahead.· Months of testing still lie ahead, with work being done at laboratories across the country.· But that life was over now and a new one lay ahead.· It is my first view of the road that lies ahead.· Then the nakedness was covered: he had seen what lay ahead.· Her surviving crew members, rich with prize money, are unprepared, perhaps, for what lies ahead -- peace. ► around · It is also dangerous to pick up needles or syringes that you see lying around.· A writer should write, not lie around dozing in the middle of the day.· Whenever possible he selected ones that contained pieces on the menopause and left them lying around where his wife could see them.· Fossil bones were just lying around in the open.· Falling over toys that have been left lying around can be fatal for elderly people and very serious for children. 3.· Thou shalt not leave illegal things lying around in plain sight.· The rye was growing so tall that Sharpe could not see what lay around the bend.· When it was hot, we all lay around in the grass and talked about stuff. ► back · He walked without hesitation to the very front row, sat down and lay back, gazing up at the screen.· Finally she lay back and cradled the crawling-already? girl in her arms.· He lay back on his thick pile of cushions and chuckled.· She held the in her hands in front of her chest and lay back down, facing him.· Ianthe lay back on her pillows.· Thinbill lay back and looked up at the stars.· She lay back in the chair.· It is real-time when you lay back on the delivery table and push like the doctor says. ► down · But Will took it lying down - all in a good cause of course.· I used to lie down and have a sleep because I got very tired towards the end with the baby.· You lay down and think about your animals.· They took a peek, and then did everything but lay down and wag their tails.· He was lying down and crying.· They are not taking things lying down as many other Third World people tend to do.· Some one like you is likely to lie down in the street and starve to death. ► still · He threw himself, face down, into the two-foot-deep trench and lay still.· Months of testing still lie ahead, with work being done at laboratories across the country.· He lay still, feeling the warm pulse of her body neatly folded against his.· Still lying down, clasp your hands together and reach them as high as you can above your head.· It still lay there on the keys, the fingers extended to form the shape.· It still lay under the trees.· Duncan lay still, confused and wondering why the Army had moved in from the south.· We saw Hunter lying still, after a knock on the head. ► there · They lay there together for several minutes gasping and perspiring.· On one particular day I lay there watching a strong, high wind move the clouds.· If it was my father lying there what would I say to him?· Louis to see what opportunity lay there.· Partner reads ... While you are lying there concentrate on your breathing.· She made no attempt to move when he came in, just lay there looking vulnerable.· I also wondered how it was that I could feel so good in an apartment in which there lay a corpse. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► lie in wait (for somebody) But who knows also the beauty which lies in wait hereabouts, which led Williams and Bingley to make the climb? Everywhere, finally, social revolution lies in wait, showing its colours and sharpening its demands. He lay in wait for his father and wounded him terribly. Life had always pulsated; death for ever lay in wait. One month ago, each new day had lain in wait to ambush Gabriel: he had woken up cringing. She lay in wait for pain, expecting no rewards from people, and this made her a hopelessly disconcerting friend. Some real bargains lie in wait amongst the never-ending maze of stalls. There were pitched battles, so they lay in wait for you. ► lie (in) second/third/fourth etc (place) After his win in Frankfurt on Sunday, he lies second in the series just behind Michel Robert. Driving a Banbury prepared Prodrive Subaru, McRae now lies third in the championship. ► lie heavy on somebody The duties of leadership lay heavy on him. Smoke lay heavy on the far side of the water, laced eerily with threads of light from the blaze. The river, swollen and bloated, lay heavy on the sunken fields. ► lie in state He lay in state, for ever disgraced. He lay on the marble slab in the centre of the tiny oblong chapel like a king lying in state. He may as well have been lying in state. Jane was fearful for a moment that Flopsy might be lying in state. President to lie in state while he was still alive. ► lie around (something) A writer should write, not lie around dozing in the middle of the day. Falling over toys that have been left lying around can be fatal for elderly people and very serious for children. 3. It's illustrated, with explicit photographs, so don't leave it lying around. Lopped off brambles lay around and the long grass was all trampled. Perhaps there was a bit of bread lying around somewhere. Thou shalt not leave illegal things lying around in plain sight. Virtually anything you see lying around can be used from a fruit bowl to a club. When it was hot, we all lay around in the grass and talked about stuff. ► take something lying down We are not going to take this verdict lying down. There will be protests. And, on yer bike: The charity rider who's taking it all lying down. But Will took it lying down - all in a good cause of course. Carl however was too active mentally to take this lying down. Mr Estrada has not taken the storm lying down. Perhaps you're not a person to take criticism lying down and you have had some sharp exchanges with your friend. The Socialists, though, are not taking it lying down. They're not taking it lying down. They are not taking things lying down as many other Third World people tend to do. ► lie at the heart/centre/root of something As we shall find, this distinction lies at the root of Anselm's movements in his last years as archbishop. Basic compassion, not just for the old but for the younger generation too, lies at the heart of this idea. That is the issue which lies at the heart of Mr. Thorpe's case. That question appears to lie at the heart of the highly publicized battle raging between Hasbro Inc. and Mattel Inc. That view lies at the root of a government drive against the racist right. The creation of a modernised democracy therefore lies at the heart of all our proposals. They overlook the human ability to negate, which lies at the root of thinking. We found that two key resource uses and two basic technologies lay at the root of lunar industry. ► lie low Brown seems to be lying low until the controversy passes. If you don't want to go back to jail, you'd better lie low for a while. Weaver had been lying low at his sister's apartment for the past week. Anne thought Nina had found a hiding place and was lying low. But he knew something about lying low. But Phil will never miss his football, not even if he has to lie low for a couple of months. Find a place to lie low. For the students it becomes a period of morbid hibernation, lying low and waiting out the years. Mr Mitterrand, meanwhile, is lying low. Then we lay low for a while. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► sit/lie/lean back Craig sighed and leaned back in his chair. But no one can sit back in investment clubs and just listen. He must generate all his own internal discipline against the possible inclination to lie back and enjoy his good fortune. He sat back on his heels, sorrowfully examining the ruined glove. He walked without hesitation to the very front row, sat down and lay back, gazing up at the screen. She heard him returning just as she sat back to admire her handiwork. Then she lay back on her pillow and they looked at each other as if it was for the first time. We started to sit back because we were up on the No. 1 team in the nation. Whatever some think, we don't sit back. ► lay something bare The depth of the problem is laid bare in the fact that 40% of 18- to 25- year-olds are unemployed. The excavation laid bare the streets of the ancient city. ► you’ve made your bed and you must lie on it► be/lie at the bottom of something His girlfriend had been woken by the noise, and had found him lying at the bottom of the stairs. Holman lay at the bottom of the open grave where he'd been roughly dumped. Knowing that self-interest lay at the bottom of his proposal did not prevent my being grateful. Mind you're not found lying at the bottom of the steps with a broken neck like Amy Robsart. The female's sperm storage tubules are sausage-shaped and sperm lie at the bottom of the tube. The rest, including your own clothes, now lie at the bottom of some deep, evil-smelling swamp. To deliver water from these depths the pumping machine has to be at the bottom of the well. Your name will be at the bottom of the letter-why write it twice? ► put/lay your cards on the table If they're willing to put all their cards on the table and negotiate, that's good. If we want to reach an agreement, we'll have to lay all our cards on the table. They're willing to put all their cards on the table and negotiate. Come on, you can lay your cards on the table in this house. The new rules appear to encourage parties to lay their cards on the table and facilitate early settlements. ► lay an egg The first episode of the series laid an egg. A few species laid eggs beneath mounds of rotten vegetation that warmed as it decayed. Adults grow to varying sizes, depending on food available, and lay eggs in late summer. Female brush turkeys visit the males' mounds, lay eggs in them, and depart. Gravid female fig wasps enter figs, lay eggs and die. In turn the later reptiles could diversify on land when they could lay eggs away from a watery environment. The wasp lays eggs inside the eggs laid by the whitefly, thereby destroying the whitefly eggs. These mate, fly away and the females find new plants to lay eggs on. Within it, they copulate and lay eggs. ► lie back and think of England► set/lay/clap eyes on somebody/something Bedford disliked Halsey the minute he set eyes on him. How could she possibly know, since he had not set eyes on the girl? I bonded on the second night I laid eyes on Hyakutake. Just hours earlier she had set eyes on the pretty two-year-old and sister Anna-Camilla, seven, for the first time. Never anywhere have I set eyes on such a one. No sooner did she set eyes on the gentleman than she recognised his pecuniary position to be merely temporary. The couple fell in love before they had even set eyes on each other during a six-month long distance courtship. ► not lay a finger on somebody► lay/provide the foundation(s) for something Tests on healthy people may lay the foundation for a vaccine to prevent AIDS. I think you have to lay the foundation for your success in terms of defense and rebounding. It laid the foundation for an organisation with greater appeal to the deaf themselves, particularly the young. These arguments provide the foundation for Simmel's account of the contradictory nature of modern life. This theory also laid the foundation for the modern revolution in our understanding of the deepest parts of the earth. To generate fundamental knowledge that can lay the foundation for future advances in high-performance computing and communications. We could say that she is laying the foundations for dressing herself later on. What is stressed rather is that the same phenomenon provides the foundation for both historical tendencies. While incomplete, the steps that were taken laid the foundation for Workplace 2000. ► lay a guilt trip on somebody► lay your hands on something Government reports, social legislation, anything she could lay her hands on that would better acquaint her with her work. He will sell anything he can lay his hands on in exchange for drugs, which includes any information he may have. I know exactly where to lay my hands on them. I like writing letters and reading anything I can lay my hands on! Kabari women use whatever birth control technology they can lay their hands on. Looters carried clothes out of shop windows along with anything else they could lay their hands on. Monday I felt driven to eat everything I could lay my hands on. Some one had to overturn the present political arrangements in the Limousin if he was ever to lay his hands on Hautefort. ► time hangs/lies heavy on your hands► see/find out how the land lies► let something drop/rest/lie► live a lie Betts said he announced his homosexuality because he couldn't go on living a lie. I had to leave him - I couldn't go on living a lie. A few miles from the house where Irina and I live lies an old churchyard. All their married life she had been living a lie. But she was living a lie wasn't she? By refraining from questioning I've allowed Liza to go on living a lie. If I accepted this relationship you seem to want, you'd come to hate me for making you live a lie. If you live a lie, what is the next step? Now Diana will feel she need no longer go on living a lie trapped in a sham relationship. ► put/lay/set down a marker► nail a lie/myth► pack of lies It's a pack of lies. It could all have been a pack of lies that Uncle Max cooked up because it gave him such power over Tawno. Nicholas frankly admitted that for the most part the reports were a pack of lies. Or was it all a pack of lies to make me give in? ► patent lie/nonsense/impossibility etc► lay/put something to rest Many of the public's doubts have now been laid to rest. A second glance put my mind to rest, but for a moment there it gave me a turn. I think this definitely puts it to rest. Kwasniewski has said he may dissolve parliament to put the issue to rest and call for new elections. Rather it attempted to lay the movement to rest. She took the pills and lay down to rest with her eyes closed. The time has come to put this to rest. Then she lay down to rest in the lounge, surrounded by other women who even here never stopped talking. Without proof I should really lay the idea to rest. ► lay somebody to rest At nightfall she was tired and lay down to rest. Rather it attempted to lay the movement to rest. She took the pills and lay down to rest with her eyes closed. Then she lay down to rest in the lounge, surrounded by other women who even here never stopped talking. We can't even lay him to rest. Without proof I should really lay the idea to rest. ► be/lie in ruins Our economy lies in ruins. Whole blocks of the city were in ruins after the war. Abingdon's trade had been waning for some time, with its fulling mills lying in ruins and unemployment rife by 1538. Elizabeth Jarvis said it was like St Paul's Cathedral, miraculously saved while all around it lay in ruins. He thought the surrounding towns must lie in ruins now, too. I have said, and I say again, that Trantor will lie in ruins within the next five centuries. It was to lie in ruins for another sixty-one years. Large rural areas lay in ruins. The centrepiece was a gradual revaluation of the lira against the dollar-a strategy which now lies in ruins. ► lay siege to somebody/something After his victory Edward rallied his troops and marched north to lay siege to Calais. Almost ten years had passed since they had first laid siege to the town, and it seemed as strong as ever. He laid siege to the fortress and gradually weakened it to the point of collapse. In 476 they laid siege to Eion, which guarded the Strymon bridge. In June 1176 Richard laid siege to Limoges; after a few days resistance Aimar's citadel capitulated. In less than two generations, since the Second World War, they have laid siege to the academic world. She had laid siege to the typists' room for some minutes before Marshall had persuaded her downstairs. ► let sleeping dogs lie The best plan is just to let sleeping dogs lie. ► be/lie/sit sprawled (out) He was lying sprawled across the pillow leaning on his elbow, his head propped to one side, reading the letter. His rear gunner lay sprawled dead in the back. The next thing she knew, she was lying sprawled across the pavement. The observer lay sprawled across his gun, his blond hair streaming romantically in the wind. We may see a road accident but we shall never be sprawled out on the tarmacadam like that. ► lie in state He lay in state, for ever disgraced. He lay on the marble slab in the centre of the tiny oblong chapel like a king lying in state. He may as well have been lying in state. Jane was fearful for a moment that Flopsy might be lying in state. President to lie in state while he was still alive. ► therein lies something The treaty was imposed by force, and therein lay the cause of its ineffectiveness. ► a tissue of lies The Springall business was hidden by a tissue of lies. ► lay it on with a trowel 1flat position a)[intransitive] to be in a position in which your body is flat on the floor, on a bed etclie on/in etc He was lying on the bed smoking a cigarette. Don’t lie in the sun for too long.lie there For a few minutes he just lay there.lie still/awake etc She would lie awake worrying. The dog was lying dead on the floor. b) (also lie down) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to put yourself in a position in which your body is flat on the floor or on a bedlie on Lie flat on the floor.lie back She lay back against the pillows. c)[intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to be in a flat position on a surfacelie on/in etc The papers were lying neatly on his desk.2exist [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a problem, an answer, blame etc lies somewhere, it is caused by, exists, or can be found in that thing, person, or situationfault/blame/responsibility lies with somebody Part of the blame must lie with social services.the problem/answer etc lies with/in something The difficulty lies in providing sufficient evidence. The strength of the book lies in the fact that the material is from classroom experience.herein/therein lies the problem/dilemma etc And herein lies the key to their achievements.3place [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a town, village, etc lies in a particular place, it is in that place:  The town lies in a small wooded valley. The Tasman Sea lies between Tasmania and Australia.4future [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if something lies ahead of you, lies in the future etc, it is going to happen to you in the futurelie ahead How will we cope with the difficulties that lie ahead?lie before A blank and empty future lay before me. I was wondering what lay in store for us.5condition [linking verb] to be in a particular state or conditionlie empty/open/hidden etc The book lay open on the table. The town now lay in ruins.6lie at the heart/centre/root of something to be the most important part of something, especially the main cause of it:  the issue that lies at the heart of the present conflict7lie low a)to remain hidden because someone is trying to find you or catch you:  We’ll have to lie low until tonight. b)to wait and try not to be noticed by anyone:  He decided to lie low for a while after the report came out.8lie in wait (for somebody) a)to remain hidden in a place and wait for someone so that you can attack them:  a giant crocodile lying in wait for its prey b)if something bad lies in wait for you, it is going to happen to you9lie (in) second/third/fourth etc (place) British English to be in second, third etc position in a competition:  Liverpool are lying third in the football championship.10lie heavy on somebody formal if something lies heavy on you, it makes you feel unhappy:  The feelings of guilt lay heavy on him.11dead person [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if someone lies in a particular place, they are buried there:  Here lies Percival Smythe (=written on a gravestone).12lie in state if an important person who has died lies in state, their body is put in a public place so that people can go and look at the body in order to show their respect for that person → let sleeping dogs lie at sleep1(7)lie around (also lie about British English) phrasal verb1lie around (something) if something is lying around, it has been left somewhere in an untidy way, rather than being in its proper place:  If you leave your shoes lying around like that, you’ll trip over them. Papers and books lay around the room in complete chaos.2if you lie around, you spend time lying down and not doing anything:  I felt so lazy just lying around on the beach all day.lie behind something phrasal verb if something lies behind an action, it is the real reason for the action even though it may be hidden:  She soon guessed what lay behind his question. Two basic assumptions lay behind the policy.lie down phrasal verb1to put yourself in a position in which your body is flat on the floor or on a bed:  Just lie down on the bed.2take something lying down informal to accept bad treatment without complaining:  I’m not going to take this lying down!lie in phrasal verb British English to remain in bed in the morning for longer than usual → lie-inlie up phrasal verb British English to hide or rest somewhere for a period of time:  The next day they lay up in a cave. lie1 verblie2 verblie3 noun lielie2 ●●● S3 W3 verb (past tense and past participle lied, present participle lying, third person singular lies) [intransitive] Verb Table VERB TABLE lie Simple Form Present I, you, we, they lie he, she, it lies Past I, you, he, she, it, we, they lay Present perfect I, you, we, they have lain he, she, it has lain Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had lain Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will lie Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have lain Continuous Form Present I am lying he, she, it is lying you, we, they are lying Past I, he, she, it was lying you, we, they were lying Present perfect I, you, we, they have been lying he, she, it has been lying Past perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they had been lying Future I, you, he, she, it, we, they will be lying Future perfect I, you, he, she, it, we, they will have been lying Examples EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS He lay on the track for five minutes before being rescued by two friends who were also out riding. It doesn't set out to lie, of course, but it sometimes succeeds. Now, with the founder gone, these ominous flaws lay glaringly exposed. Public servants, like children with guns, learn to lie. She was dressed in a silk kimono and lying on the daybed when he went in. The immorality lies in the inherent wrongness of people deliberately killing other people. The jelly cupboard was on its back, its contents lying in a heap in the corner of the bottom shelf. We were both lying on our backs, our heads on our clasped hands. Thesaurus THESAURUS► lie/tell a lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · She had lied to protect her son.· Are you accusing me of telling lies? ► fib verb [intransitive] informal to lie, especially about something that is not very important – used especially by children: · Dan’s fibbing. I didn’t hit him. ► make something up/invent something to invent a story, explanation etc in order to deceive someone: · I didn’t want to go so I made up an excuse and said I was busy.· He invented the tale to prevent his parents from finding out the truth. ► mislead verb [transitive] to make someone believe something that is not true by giving them false or incomplete information: · The government misled the public over the war. ► be economical with the truth to only tell someone part of the truth – often used when saying indirectly that someone is lying: · He admitted that he had perhaps been economical with the truth. ► perjure yourself/commit perjury to tell a lie in a court of law: · He had perjured himself in court.· Witnesses will be prosecuted if they commit perjury. Longman Language Activatorto lie down after you have been standing or sitting► lie down to put yourself in a flat position on a surface such as a bed, especially in order to relax or to go to sleep: · You look really tired. Why don't you go and lie down for a while?· For this exercise, it is best to lie down, or sit with both feet on the floor.lie down on: · I didn't feel very well, so I lay down on the bed and tried to rest. ► lie to put yourself in a flat position on a surface: lie on: · Libby switched off the light and lay on the couch, staring into the darkness.· Lie on the floor and put your legs in the air.lie on your back/stomach: · The baby was lying on his back in his crib, perfectly content. ► stretch out to lie with your body and legs straight so that you can relax: · I think I'll go upstairs and stretch out for a little while.stretch out on: · "I'm pooped," said Homer, stretching out on his bunk. ► sprawl/sprawl out to lie or sit with your arms or legs stretched out in a lazy or careless way: sprawl/sprawl out on: · "What a beautiful day," said Olly, sprawling out on the sand.· Kerry came into the room, obviously drunk, and sprawled on the bed. to be in a lying position► lie to be in a flat position, for example on a bed or the floor: lie in/on etc: · I spent most of the morning lying in bed.lie face down: · When they found him, he was lying face down in a pool of blood.lie on your back/stomach: · Frank was lying there flat on his back, snoring away. ► recline formal to lie or lean back in a very relaxed way: recline on: · Many of Roche's earlier paintings are of young men reclining on sofas.recline in: · Reclining in a comfortable chair, David idly flipped through a magazine. ► stretched out lying with your body and legs straight in order to relax because your body is tired: · Sean was stretched out on the carpet, listening to music.· As she let herself in the front door, she caught sight of Stafford, stretched out on the sofa, a book in hand.lie stretched out: · The dog lay stretched out in front of the fire. ► sprawled/sprawled out lying or sitting with your arms or legs stretched out in a lazy or careless way: · There was Quinn, sprawled out on the grass, sound asleep.lie sprawled/sprawled out: · The children were lying sprawled out in front of the television. ► spreadeagled especially British lying flat with your arms and legs spread as wide apart as possible: · Ellen lost her balance and ended up spreadeagled on her back on the pavement.· The court heard how he confronted the couple, forced them to lie spreadeagled on the ground, and pointed a gun at their heads. to say or write something that is not true► lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · I looked at her face and just knew that she was lying.lie to: · Don't lie to me! I know where you were last night.lie about: · Movie stars always lie about their age.lie through your teeth (=to deliberately say something that is completely untrue, in a way that makes other people angry or upset): · "The witness was lying through his teeth," said Davis, "and should be charged with perjury." ► tell a lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · The guy's always telling lies.· Are you accusing me of telling lies?· The boys tell lies to get each other into trouble.tell somebody a lie: · Of course it's true. I wouldn't tell you a lie. ► tell tales British if someone, especially a child, tells tales , they tell lies about someone else, in order to make you believe that the other person has behaved badly: · Daisy Venables, you naughty girl, have you been telling tales again?tell tales on: · According to the children, telling tales on each other was as bad as cheating. ► tell fibs also tell porkies British informal to tell lies, especially ones that are not very important - used especially by children: · Now, Martin, you mustn't tell fibs.· His mother says that he sometimes tells fibs. ► fib to tell a lie - especially one that is not very important: · When she asked if they wanted to stay for tea, Larry fibbed and said they had a few errands to run.fib about: · He fibbed about his age. ► be economical with the truth especially British to not tell the whole truth about something - use this in a humorous way to say indirectly that someone is lying: · Don't you feel like you're being a bit economical with the truth here?· Leonard had, as he put it, been "economical with the truth" at times. ► perjury the crime of telling a lie in a court of law when you have promised to tell the truth: commit perjury: · Do you realise that by lying to the court you have committed perjury?charge somebody with perjury: · Both witnesses are accused of giving false evidence and will likely be charged with perjury.find somebody guilty of perjury: · Hall was found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice. something untrue that is said or written► lie something that you say which you know is not true: · Jim said that he was planning to stay home and watch TV, but I knew it was a lie.lie about: · How can the newspapers print all these lies about her?a pack of lies (=so many lies that you feel shocked or angry): · He called the report "a pack of lies".a bald-faced/an outright/a downright lie (=a clear and shocking lie): · Davenport said the congressman's allegations were nothing more than "downright lies". ► white lie a lie that does not harm anyone, especially one that is told in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings: · It's just a little white lie. No real harm done.· I told him his suit looked wonderful, which was a white lie.· "I'm sorry I couldn't come. I had a really bad headache," she explained, resorting to a white lie. ► fib informal a lie, especially one that is not very important: · You're not telling me a fib, are you?fib about: · I had to make up some fib about why I was late. ► falsehood formal an untrue statement or story, especially one that has been carefully and deliberately invented to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · Mudge, in a written statement Wednesday, said the article was a collection of "falsehoods and misinformation".spread a falsehood: · Why Campbell had chosen to spread such a falsehood is a mystery. ► half-truth a statement that is almost a lie because it does not tell the whole truth about something: · McCarthy's blend of half-truths and lies ruined many careers in government and the professions.· Forbes' book on Bonham is littered with half-truths, and, in some cases, outright lies. ► misinformation incorrect information, especially information that is deliberately intended to deceive people: · According to Kramer, the Internet is a storehouse of lies and misinformation.misinformation about: · "For months, the Democrats have run television commercials filled with misinformation about the Republican Party," said Dawson. ► disinformation false information which is given deliberately in order to hide the truth or confuse people, especially in political situations: · The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the report as "disinformation".disinformation about: · Logan said government agents are still spreading disinformation about leaders of the political reform movement. ► propaganda false or partly false information that is spread by a government or political organization, in order to make people support and agree with their political aims and beliefs: · Propaganda is a tool of war.Communist/US etc propaganda: · Radio Marti is still there, spewing its US propaganda across the waters toward Cuba.propaganda campaign (=an organized plan to spread propaganda): · In Najaf, Khomeini had begun a propaganda campaign against the Shah.anti-Western/anti-Communist/anti-Labour etc propaganda: · a piece of anti-Communist propaganda ► smear campaign when people tell lies about someone in the newspapers, on television etc, in order to make people have a bad opinion of that person: mount a smear campaign against somebody: · The Labour Party mounted a smear campaign against Livingstone before the election. to invent a false story, excuse, name etc► make up to think of a story, excuse, explanation etc that is not true, especially in order to deceive people or to protect yourself: make up something: · I gave her the wrong name, and made up a telephone number with a Los Angeles area code.make something/it up: · You don't have to tell him why, just make something up. ► invent to think of a story, excuse, name etc that is not true in order to deceive people: · I invented reasons for never seeing him again.· He began inventing excuses for why he had done nothing to help.· He invented fictional ancestors and a family history to impress the girls. ► fabricate formal to think of a false story, piece of information etc in order to deceive people or prevent them from discovering the truth: · Officials were accused of fabricating the evidence that was given at the trial.· The woman said she fabricated her testimony because she thought she was going to get a $10,000 reward. ► cook up informal /concoct formal to spend time thinking of a false story, excuse, plant etc, especially with other people: · I cooked up an excuse so I could leave early.· His lawyers concocted a theory that the police had planted the evidence against him.cook up a scheme: · He cooked up some crazy scheme for making money, and ended up being arrested. someone who lies► liar · She may be stupid, but she's not a liar.call somebody a liar · Are you calling me a liar?compulsive/habitual/pathological liar (=someone who cannot stop telling lies) · Coleman described the president as a "pathological liar" and "a criminal in the White House." ► fibber someone who tells lies, especially ones that are not very important: · You are such a fibber! Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY► lie through your teeth (=say something that is completely untrue) COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► lie ahead  Problems may lie ahead. ► lie/wait in ambush  Armed police lay in ambush behind the hedge. ► lie awake · Kate lay awake thinking about what had happened. ► barefaced lies  Why are you telling such barefaced lies? ► lie on the beach · I find it boring just lying on the beach all day. ► place/put/lay a bet on something · She placed a bet on a horse called Beethoven. ► the blame lies with somebody (=used to say that someone is responsible for something bad)· In this case, the blame lay with the police. ► lay/run a cable (=put one in position somewhere)· In the 1860s the first cables were laid under the oceans. ► fit/lay a carpet (=cut it to fit a room and fix it to the floor)· Will it cost extra to have the carpet fitted? ► draw up/lay down a code (=create one)· The syndicate decided to draw up a code of conduct for its members. ► lay down/set/impose conditions (=say what someone must agree to)· They laid down certain conditions before agreeing to the ceasefire. ► lie dead · If I’m late, Mum worries that I’m lying dead somewhere. ► lie/remain dormant  The seeds remain dormant until the spring. ► lay ... eggs  Blackbirds lay their eggs in March. ► place/lay emphasis on something formal· The coach has placed the emphasis firmly on youth by including three teenagers in the team. ► lay off employees (=stop employing them because there is no work for them to do)· Unions fear that many part-time employees will be laid off. ► lay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching)· The roof tiles are laid end to end. ► lay on/put on entertainment (=organize and provide it)· The organizers laid on some entertainment for the children. ► lie fallow  They let the land lie fallow for a year. ► lay flat  He lay flat on the floor. ► lay flat on ... back  That night I lay flat on my back and stared up at the ceiling. ► sit/lie/sleep on the floor · Officers found her lying face down on the floor. ► lay ... foundations  It took the builders three weeks to lay the foundations. ► somebody’s/something’s future lies in/with something (=it is in a particular thing)· The country’s economic future lies with its skilled workforce. ► prepare/lay the ground (=to provide the situation or conditions in which something can develop successfully) ► lay down/establish ground rules for something  Our book lays down the ground rules for building a patio successfully. ► hope lies in/with something (=something gives people hope)· Our real hope lies with a vaccine. ► lying idle  I cannot afford to leave the land lying idle. ► leave ... lying about  Don’t leave tools lying about. ► lie detector test  He was asked to take a lie detector test. ► have a lie down  I’m going upstairs to have a lie down. ► have a lie-in  I always have a lie-in on a Sunday. ► give your life/lay down your life (=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief)· These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free. ► where your loyalties lie (=who or what you are going to be loyal to)· Do your loyalties lie with your friends or your family? ► lay mines  They learnt how to lay mines (=put them in place). ► a mist hangs/lies somewhere (=stays in a place)· A thick mist lay on the hills. ► stand/sit/lie motionless  The men stood motionless as Weir held his finger to his lips. ► something’s origins lie in something (=something comes from a particular place or or develops from a particular situation)· a grape whose origins lie in northern Italy· The technique’s origins lie in the popular arts of the time. ► lay a pipe · They were digging a trench to lay water pipes. ► lay down a principle (=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English. ► the problem lies in/with something · The problem lies in the design of the rocket. ► lying prostrate  They found him lying prostrate on the floor. ► the responsibility lies with somebody (=they are responsible for it)· Ultimate responsibility for admissions lies with the Course Co-ordinator. ► be/lie at the root of something (=be the cause of something) Allergies are at the root of a lot of health problems. ► be/lie at the root of something  the liberal economic policies which lie at the root of American power ► spread lies/gossip · How dare you spread such vicious lies!· Has someone been spreading malicious gossip? ► set/lay down a standard · The government sets standards that all hospitals must reach. ► somebody's/something's strength lies in something · The show's strength lies in the fact that it appeals to all ages. ► set/lay the table (=put knives, forks etc on a table before a meal)· The table was set for fourteen. ► tell a lie · They told lies about us. ► lay/set a trap (for somebody)  Police had set a trap for hooligans at the match. ► a web of intrigue/deceit/deception/lies etc COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► about · Their droppings lay about like scattered handfuls of raisins.· Would I lie about a thing like this?· Cod, for instance, lay about nine million eggs into the plankton.· Brown said some have deliberately injured ducks swimming in the lake and have left fishing lines lying about.· At least he's not lying about one thing.· Dietz could not say whether Erik is lying about alleged abuse by his father.· What is there to lie about? ► ahead · Currently, attention is centred on the Irkutsk region's gas and oil resources, but many obstacles lie ahead.· And almost alone among the early Hmong arrivals, he could see that storm signals lay ahead.· Then the nakedness was covered: he had seen what lay ahead.· But remember, dangers lie ahead.· The horse-trading that lies ahead will end only when the three key players have said their piece.· It had been a good spring for the President, but trouble lay ahead.· And what lies ahead in 1993?· What surfaces is the inevitable reckoning with what lies ahead. ► around · Lopped off brambles lay around and the long grass was all trampled.· Perhaps there was a bit of bread lying around somewhere.· These can be just those pieces which they find lying around the surface or they can be ripped off the growing plants.· Thou shalt not leave illegal things lying around in plain sight.· It is also dangerous to pick up needles or syringes that you see lying around.· Then parents put up with the toy lying around for another couple of months before they want to get rid of it.· The property room looked like a theatrical battlefield with masks and armour lying around in different stages of completion. ► back · The convulsions stopped and Charles lay back exhausted.· I grope; then lie back.· Frank was lying back on the pillows with his eyes closed.· He covered his face and lay back and let the giggles take him.· Laying my pack of cigarettes on the table, I lay back on the bed and looked at the ceiling.· Thinbill lay back and looked up at the stars.· He lay back on his thick pile of cushions and chuckled.· She moaned and lay back, her eyes wide in the darkness. ► down · Still shivering, we were made to lie down, men and women in adjoining beds.· He scooped out a hollow and lying down piled the leaves over him like a thick coverlet.· I lay down across the path.· Never mind that old sergeant major of yours won't lie down, you're not doin' any ironing.· His own father would lie down after dinner, light a cigar, and listen to classical music.· Then she lay down, still with her shoes on, and let herself cry.· We set him on the coat, lay down on either side and sobbed along with him. ► here · And here lies a fundamental difference of opinion - how should a National Park operate?· I lie here thinking, and then all at once my eyes close.· And here lies a contradiction at the heart of AT&T's original business, even before it tried to get into computers.· Her clothes and hair are soaked; she must have been lying here for a long time.· The key here lies not with personal rivalries, as administrative historians would have us believe.· Now you just lie here and enjoy the rest.· A new territory lay here, in which she must live.· Here lies a central dispute throughout the social sciences, and it is one to which we will often revert. ► just · The other phosphorylated region of c-Jun lies just upstream from the C-terminal bZIP domain that specifies dimerisation and DNA-binding.· She had passed out there-or perhaps just lain down and drifted into sleep.· I wasn't going to just lie down and die.· He was just lying there looking at her as if he was dreaming with his eyes open.· You are just lying there with these people washing, dressing and at the same time inflicting pain on you.· He was just lying in the road, looking straight up.· Now you just lie here and enjoy the rest.· And then it just lies there on the screen, with all the inert charm of a well-dressed mannequin. ► still · He threw himself, face down, into the two-foot-deep trench and lay still.· The bear fell over and lay still in the water.· This one is about three hours old and still lying in the foetal position in which it emerged from the egg.· The parcel still lay on the table, and both girls had stood up.· It was quite obvious where Miss Rose's interests still lay.· The sixth tanker still lay in the ravine, waiting for a crew to pull it out of the ditch.· Rolling on to his back, he lay still as a corpse with only his face breaking the surface.· We lay still, afraid to show that we were awake. ► there · It still lay there on the keys, the fingers extended to form the shape.· But he was tired so he just lay there, listening to the street sounds, and waited for morning.· He lay there, feeling very tender and protective, and put an arm rather tentatively around her.· He lay there for a minute to get his breath.· Both her dear sisters lay there in the basin, cruelly murdered, and cut in pieces.· Between geologist and geology there lies a daunting barrier: the deep and rolling ocean.· Well, then, lie there and believe what you like. ► therein · And therein lies the key criticism of Mr Lamont's move towards an energy efficient Britain.· The theory of evolution by natural selection reached out far beyond biology, and therein lies its significance.· She is not afraid of the outside world, but recognizes its beauty, and therein lies a danger.· Not that she dared to hope for a reference from this place! Therein lay her difficulty.· And therein lies a Daley legend.· And therein lies the deepest fascination about records and milestones.· More importantly, the adoption of these practices made the individual worker feel insignificant. Therein lies the problem. Phrases PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► sit/lie/lean back Craig sighed and leaned back in his chair. But no one can sit back in investment clubs and just listen. He must generate all his own internal discipline against the possible inclination to lie back and enjoy his good fortune. He sat back on his heels, sorrowfully examining the ruined glove. He walked without hesitation to the very front row, sat down and lay back, gazing up at the screen. She heard him returning just as she sat back to admire her handiwork. Then she lay back on her pillow and they looked at each other as if it was for the first time. We started to sit back because we were up on the No. 1 team in the nation. Whatever some think, we don't sit back. ► lay something bare The depth of the problem is laid bare in the fact that 40% of 18- to 25- year-olds are unemployed. The excavation laid bare the streets of the ancient city. ► you’ve made your bed and you must lie on it► be/lie at the bottom of something His girlfriend had been woken by the noise, and had found him lying at the bottom of the stairs. Holman lay at the bottom of the open grave where he'd been roughly dumped. Knowing that self-interest lay at the bottom of his proposal did not prevent my being grateful. Mind you're not found lying at the bottom of the steps with a broken neck like Amy Robsart. The female's sperm storage tubules are sausage-shaped and sperm lie at the bottom of the tube. The rest, including your own clothes, now lie at the bottom of some deep, evil-smelling swamp. To deliver water from these depths the pumping machine has to be at the bottom of the well. Your name will be at the bottom of the letter-why write it twice? ► put/lay your cards on the table If they're willing to put all their cards on the table and negotiate, that's good. If we want to reach an agreement, we'll have to lay all our cards on the table. They're willing to put all their cards on the table and negotiate. Come on, you can lay your cards on the table in this house. The new rules appear to encourage parties to lay their cards on the table and facilitate early settlements. ► lay an egg The first episode of the series laid an egg. A few species laid eggs beneath mounds of rotten vegetation that warmed as it decayed. Adults grow to varying sizes, depending on food available, and lay eggs in late summer. Female brush turkeys visit the males' mounds, lay eggs in them, and depart. Gravid female fig wasps enter figs, lay eggs and die. In turn the later reptiles could diversify on land when they could lay eggs away from a watery environment. The wasp lays eggs inside the eggs laid by the whitefly, thereby destroying the whitefly eggs. These mate, fly away and the females find new plants to lay eggs on. Within it, they copulate and lay eggs. ► lie back and think of England► set/lay/clap eyes on somebody/something Bedford disliked Halsey the minute he set eyes on him. How could she possibly know, since he had not set eyes on the girl? I bonded on the second night I laid eyes on Hyakutake. Just hours earlier she had set eyes on the pretty two-year-old and sister Anna-Camilla, seven, for the first time. Never anywhere have I set eyes on such a one. No sooner did she set eyes on the gentleman than she recognised his pecuniary position to be merely temporary. The couple fell in love before they had even set eyes on each other during a six-month long distance courtship. ► not lay a finger on somebody► lay/provide the foundation(s) for something Tests on healthy people may lay the foundation for a vaccine to prevent AIDS. I think you have to lay the foundation for your success in terms of defense and rebounding. It laid the foundation for an organisation with greater appeal to the deaf themselves, particularly the young. These arguments provide the foundation for Simmel's account of the contradictory nature of modern life. This theory also laid the foundation for the modern revolution in our understanding of the deepest parts of the earth. To generate fundamental knowledge that can lay the foundation for future advances in high-performance computing and communications. We could say that she is laying the foundations for dressing herself later on. What is stressed rather is that the same phenomenon provides the foundation for both historical tendencies. While incomplete, the steps that were taken laid the foundation for Workplace 2000. ► lay a guilt trip on somebody► lay your hands on something Government reports, social legislation, anything she could lay her hands on that would better acquaint her with her work. He will sell anything he can lay his hands on in exchange for drugs, which includes any information he may have. I know exactly where to lay my hands on them. I like writing letters and reading anything I can lay my hands on! Kabari women use whatever birth control technology they can lay their hands on. Looters carried clothes out of shop windows along with anything else they could lay their hands on. Monday I felt driven to eat everything I could lay my hands on. Some one had to overturn the present political arrangements in the Limousin if he was ever to lay his hands on Hautefort. ► time hangs/lies heavy on your hands► see/find out how the land lies► let something drop/rest/lie► live a lie Betts said he announced his homosexuality because he couldn't go on living a lie. I had to leave him - I couldn't go on living a lie. A few miles from the house where Irina and I live lies an old churchyard. All their married life she had been living a lie. But she was living a lie wasn't she? By refraining from questioning I've allowed Liza to go on living a lie. If I accepted this relationship you seem to want, you'd come to hate me for making you live a lie. If you live a lie, what is the next step? Now Diana will feel she need no longer go on living a lie trapped in a sham relationship. ► put/lay/set down a marker► nail a lie/myth► pack of lies It's a pack of lies. It could all have been a pack of lies that Uncle Max cooked up because it gave him such power over Tawno. Nicholas frankly admitted that for the most part the reports were a pack of lies. Or was it all a pack of lies to make me give in? ► patent lie/nonsense/impossibility etc► lay/put something to rest Many of the public's doubts have now been laid to rest. A second glance put my mind to rest, but for a moment there it gave me a turn. I think this definitely puts it to rest. Kwasniewski has said he may dissolve parliament to put the issue to rest and call for new elections. Rather it attempted to lay the movement to rest. She took the pills and lay down to rest with her eyes closed. The time has come to put this to rest. Then she lay down to rest in the lounge, surrounded by other women who even here never stopped talking. Without proof I should really lay the idea to rest. ► lay somebody to rest At nightfall she was tired and lay down to rest. Rather it attempted to lay the movement to rest. She took the pills and lay down to rest with her eyes closed. Then she lay down to rest in the lounge, surrounded by other women who even here never stopped talking. We can't even lay him to rest. Without proof I should really lay the idea to rest. ► be/lie in ruins Our economy lies in ruins. Whole blocks of the city were in ruins after the war. Abingdon's trade had been waning for some time, with its fulling mills lying in ruins and unemployment rife by 1538. Elizabeth Jarvis said it was like St Paul's Cathedral, miraculously saved while all around it lay in ruins. He thought the surrounding towns must lie in ruins now, too. I have said, and I say again, that Trantor will lie in ruins within the next five centuries. It was to lie in ruins for another sixty-one years. Large rural areas lay in ruins. The centrepiece was a gradual revaluation of the lira against the dollar-a strategy which now lies in ruins. ► lay siege to somebody/something After his victory Edward rallied his troops and marched north to lay siege to Calais. Almost ten years had passed since they had first laid siege to the town, and it seemed as strong as ever. He laid siege to the fortress and gradually weakened it to the point of collapse. In 476 they laid siege to Eion, which guarded the Strymon bridge. In June 1176 Richard laid siege to Limoges; after a few days resistance Aimar's citadel capitulated. In less than two generations, since the Second World War, they have laid siege to the academic world. She had laid siege to the typists' room for some minutes before Marshall had persuaded her downstairs. ► let sleeping dogs lie The best plan is just to let sleeping dogs lie. ► be/lie/sit sprawled (out) He was lying sprawled across the pillow leaning on his elbow, his head propped to one side, reading the letter. His rear gunner lay sprawled dead in the back. The next thing she knew, she was lying sprawled across the pavement. The observer lay sprawled across his gun, his blond hair streaming romantically in the wind. We may see a road accident but we shall never be sprawled out on the tarmacadam like that. ► lie in state He lay in state, for ever disgraced. He lay on the marble slab in the centre of the tiny oblong chapel like a king lying in state. He may as well have been lying in state. Jane was fearful for a moment that Flopsy might be lying in state. President to lie in state while he was still alive. ► therein lies something The treaty was imposed by force, and therein lay the cause of its ineffectiveness. ► a tissue of lies The Springall business was hidden by a tissue of lies. ► lay it on with a trowel 1to deliberately tell someone something that is not true:  I could tell from her face that she was lying.lie to I would never lie to you.lie about She lied about her age.lie through your teeth (=say something that is completely untrue)2if a picture, account etc lies, it does not show the true facts or the true situation:  Statistics can often lie. The camera never lies.THESAURUSlie/tell a lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · She had lied to protect her son.· Are you accusing me of telling lies?fib verb [intransitive] informal to lie, especially about something that is not very important – used especially by children: · Dan’s fibbing. I didn’t hit him.make something up/invent something to invent a story, explanation etc in order to deceive someone: · I didn’t want to go so I made up an excuse and said I was busy.· He invented the tale to prevent his parents from finding out the truth.mislead verb [transitive] to make someone believe something that is not true by giving them false or incomplete information: · The government misled the public over the war.be economical with the truth to only tell someone part of the truth – often used when saying indirectly that someone is lying: · He admitted that he had perhaps been economical with the truth.perjure yourself/commit perjury to tell a lie in a court of law: · He had perjured himself in court.· Witnesses will be prosecuted if they commit perjury. lie1 verblie2 verblie3 noun lielie3 ●●● S3 noun Examples EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES Davenport said the congressman's allegations were nothing more than "downright lies". He called the report "a pack of lies". How can the newspapers print all these lies about her? Jim said that he was planning to stay home and watch TV, but I knew it was a lie. EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS And yet parents press children to be truthful, admonishing against wild stories and silly lies. But she was afraid that some evil tongue might poison me with lies ... Jean Cocteau said that history is facts which become lies and that legends are lies which become history. Otherwise, it would sound like some kind of weird, fawning lie. That would be a bit of a lie. Thesaurus THESAURUS► lie noun [countable] something you say or write that you know is untrue: · Would you tell lies to protect a friend?· The allegation is a complete lie. ► white lie noun [countable] informal a lie that you tell to avoid upsetting someone: · We all tell white lies sometimes. ► fib noun [countable] informal a lie, especially about something that is not very important – used especially by children: · Have you been telling fibs? ► porky noun [countable usually plural] British English informal a lie – a very informal use: · He’s been telling porkies again. ► falsehood noun [countable] formal a statement that is not true, especially one that is intended to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · He described the allegations as malicious falsehoods. ► untruth noun [countable] formal a lie – used especially when you want to avoid saying the word lie: · Some workers go off and tell untruths about the organisations for which they are working. ► fabrication noun [countable, uncountable] formal a story or claim that someone has invented in order to deceive someone, or the act of doing this: · The claim was described as a fabrication by the police prosecutor.· He dismissed the charges as pure fabrication. ► libel noun [uncountable] law the crime of writing lies that could make people have a bad opinion of someone, especially in a newspaper or magazine: · She sued the newspaper for libel.· libel laws ► slander noun [countable, uncountable] law the crime of speaking lies that could make people have a bad opinion of someone, or an untrue statement which does this: · He’s threatening to sue them for slander.· a slander on the good name of the company· Linking his name to terrorism was a slander. Longman Language Activatorto lie down after you have been standing or sitting► lie down to put yourself in a flat position on a surface such as a bed, especially in order to relax or to go to sleep: · You look really tired. Why don't you go and lie down for a while?· For this exercise, it is best to lie down, or sit with both feet on the floor.lie down on: · I didn't feel very well, so I lay down on the bed and tried to rest. ► lie to put yourself in a flat position on a surface: lie on: · Libby switched off the light and lay on the couch, staring into the darkness.· Lie on the floor and put your legs in the air.lie on your back/stomach: · The baby was lying on his back in his crib, perfectly content. ► stretch out to lie with your body and legs straight so that you can relax: · I think I'll go upstairs and stretch out for a little while.stretch out on: · "I'm pooped," said Homer, stretching out on his bunk. ► sprawl/sprawl out to lie or sit with your arms or legs stretched out in a lazy or careless way: sprawl/sprawl out on: · "What a beautiful day," said Olly, sprawling out on the sand.· Kerry came into the room, obviously drunk, and sprawled on the bed. to be in a lying position► lie to be in a flat position, for example on a bed or the floor: lie in/on etc: · I spent most of the morning lying in bed.lie face down: · When they found him, he was lying face down in a pool of blood.lie on your back/stomach: · Frank was lying there flat on his back, snoring away. ► recline formal to lie or lean back in a very relaxed way: recline on: · Many of Roche's earlier paintings are of young men reclining on sofas.recline in: · Reclining in a comfortable chair, David idly flipped through a magazine. ► stretched out lying with your body and legs straight in order to relax because your body is tired: · Sean was stretched out on the carpet, listening to music.· As she let herself in the front door, she caught sight of Stafford, stretched out on the sofa, a book in hand.lie stretched out: · The dog lay stretched out in front of the fire. ► sprawled/sprawled out lying or sitting with your arms or legs stretched out in a lazy or careless way: · There was Quinn, sprawled out on the grass, sound asleep.lie sprawled/sprawled out: · The children were lying sprawled out in front of the television. ► spreadeagled especially British lying flat with your arms and legs spread as wide apart as possible: · Ellen lost her balance and ended up spreadeagled on her back on the pavement.· The court heard how he confronted the couple, forced them to lie spreadeagled on the ground, and pointed a gun at their heads. to say or write something that is not true► lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · I looked at her face and just knew that she was lying.lie to: · Don't lie to me! I know where you were last night.lie about: · Movie stars always lie about their age.lie through your teeth (=to deliberately say something that is completely untrue, in a way that makes other people angry or upset): · "The witness was lying through his teeth," said Davis, "and should be charged with perjury." ► tell a lie to deliberately tell someone something that is not true: · The guy's always telling lies.· Are you accusing me of telling lies?· The boys tell lies to get each other into trouble.tell somebody a lie: · Of course it's true. I wouldn't tell you a lie. ► tell tales British if someone, especially a child, tells tales , they tell lies about someone else, in order to make you believe that the other person has behaved badly: · Daisy Venables, you naughty girl, have you been telling tales again?tell tales on: · According to the children, telling tales on each other was as bad as cheating. ► tell fibs also tell porkies British informal to tell lies, especially ones that are not very important - used especially by children: · Now, Martin, you mustn't tell fibs.· His mother says that he sometimes tells fibs. ► fib to tell a lie - especially one that is not very important: · When she asked if they wanted to stay for tea, Larry fibbed and said they had a few errands to run.fib about: · He fibbed about his age. ► be economical with the truth especially British to not tell the whole truth about something - use this in a humorous way to say indirectly that someone is lying: · Don't you feel like you're being a bit economical with the truth here?· Leonard had, as he put it, been "economical with the truth" at times. ► perjury the crime of telling a lie in a court of law when you have promised to tell the truth: commit perjury: · Do you realise that by lying to the court you have committed perjury?charge somebody with perjury: · Both witnesses are accused of giving false evidence and will likely be charged with perjury.find somebody guilty of perjury: · Hall was found guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice. something untrue that is said or written► lie something that you say which you know is not true: · Jim said that he was planning to stay home and watch TV, but I knew it was a lie.lie about: · How can the newspapers print all these lies about her?a pack of lies (=so many lies that you feel shocked or angry): · He called the report "a pack of lies".a bald-faced/an outright/a downright lie (=a clear and shocking lie): · Davenport said the congressman's allegations were nothing more than "downright lies". ► white lie a lie that does not harm anyone, especially one that is told in order to avoid hurting someone's feelings: · It's just a little white lie. No real harm done.· I told him his suit looked wonderful, which was a white lie.· "I'm sorry I couldn't come. I had a really bad headache," she explained, resorting to a white lie. ► fib informal a lie, especially one that is not very important: · You're not telling me a fib, are you?fib about: · I had to make up some fib about why I was late. ► falsehood formal an untrue statement or story, especially one that has been carefully and deliberately invented to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · Mudge, in a written statement Wednesday, said the article was a collection of "falsehoods and misinformation".spread a falsehood: · Why Campbell had chosen to spread such a falsehood is a mystery. ► half-truth a statement that is almost a lie because it does not tell the whole truth about something: · McCarthy's blend of half-truths and lies ruined many careers in government and the professions.· Forbes' book on Bonham is littered with half-truths, and, in some cases, outright lies. ► misinformation incorrect information, especially information that is deliberately intended to deceive people: · According to Kramer, the Internet is a storehouse of lies and misinformation.misinformation about: · "For months, the Democrats have run television commercials filled with misinformation about the Republican Party," said Dawson. ► disinformation false information which is given deliberately in order to hide the truth or confuse people, especially in political situations: · The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the report as "disinformation".disinformation about: · Logan said government agents are still spreading disinformation about leaders of the political reform movement. ► propaganda false or partly false information that is spread by a government or political organization, in order to make people support and agree with their political aims and beliefs: · Propaganda is a tool of war.Communist/US etc propaganda: · Radio Marti is still there, spewing its US propaganda across the waters toward Cuba.propaganda campaign (=an organized plan to spread propaganda): · In Najaf, Khomeini had begun a propaganda campaign against the Shah.anti-Western/anti-Communist/anti-Labour etc propaganda: · a piece of anti-Communist propaganda ► smear campaign when people tell lies about someone in the newspapers, on television etc, in order to make people have a bad opinion of that person: mount a smear campaign against somebody: · The Labour Party mounted a smear campaign against Livingstone before the election. to invent a false story, excuse, name etc► make up to think of a story, excuse, explanation etc that is not true, especially in order to deceive people or to protect yourself: make up something: · I gave her the wrong name, and made up a telephone number with a Los Angeles area code.make something/it up: · You don't have to tell him why, just make something up. ► invent to think of a story, excuse, name etc that is not true in order to deceive people: · I invented reasons for never seeing him again.· He began inventing excuses for why he had done nothing to help.· He invented fictional ancestors and a family history to impress the girls. ► fabricate formal to think of a false story, piece of information etc in order to deceive people or prevent them from discovering the truth: · Officials were accused of fabricating the evidence that was given at the trial.· The woman said she fabricated her testimony because she thought she was going to get a $10,000 reward. ► cook up informal /concoct formal to spend time thinking of a false story, excuse, plant etc, especially with other people: · I cooked up an excuse so I could leave early.· His lawyers concocted a theory that the police had planted the evidence against him.cook up a scheme: · He cooked up some crazy scheme for making money, and ended up being arrested. someone who lies► liar · She may be stupid, but she's not a liar.call somebody a liar · Are you calling me a liar?compulsive/habitual/pathological liar (=someone who cannot stop telling lies) · Coleman described the president as a "pathological liar" and "a criminal in the White House." ► fibber someone who tells lies, especially ones that are not very important: · You are such a fibber! to pretend that something is true► pretend to behave as though something is true when you know that it is not: · We thought that he was really hurt, but he was just pretending.pretend (that): · Bill closed his eyes, and pretended that the war was over and that he was safe at home.pretend to do something: · I pretended not to see her, and carried on walking down the street.pretend to be happy/ill/angry etc: · She pretended to be ill and took a day off work. ► make out informal to pretend that a situation exists in order to deceive someone: make out (that): · We managed to fool the ticket collector by making out we couldn't speak English.· Two days later Joyce phoned to ask about the check, so I had to make out I'd already mailed it.make something out to be: · They made it out to be a really interesting job, but in fact it was ridiculously boring. ► be putting it on spoken to pretend to be ill, upset, injured etc, because you want to avoid doing something or you want people to feel sorry for you: · I don't think she's really ill - she's just putting it on because she doesn't want to go to school.· I couldn't tell if Harvey was putting it on, or if he really was upset. ► be faking it informal to pretend to be interested, ill etc, when you are not: · The kid is always saying he's too sick to go to school, and his parents figure he's faking it.· I look at all the faces around me. Are these people really that happy? Or are they just faking it like I am? ► live a lie to pretend all the time that you feel or believe something that you do not feel or believe: · I had to leave him - I couldn't go on living a lie. ► keep up appearances to pretend that everything in your life is still as happy and successful as it used to be, even though you have suffered some kind of trouble or loss: · Of course, he tries to keep up appearances, but he lives entirely off borrowed money.· She put Christmas decorations in the window just to keep up appearances. Collocations COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs► tell (somebody) a lie · He got into trouble for telling a lie. ► believe a lie · How could you believe his lies? ► spread lies (=tell them to a lot of people)· How dare you spread such vicious lies? adjectives► a complete/total/outright lie (=something that is completely untrue)· Of course the whole thing was a complete lie.· She didn't want to tell her mother an outright lie. ► a white lie (=a small lie that you tell someone for good reasons, for example to avoid hurting their feelings)· We all have to tell white lies sometimes. ► a downright lie (=used when something is clearly a lie, especially when you feel annoyed)· That’s a downright lie. I never said any such thing! ► a vicious lie (=one that is very unkind and very untrue)· He told the court that it was a vicious lie from beginning to end. ► a blatant lie (=an obvious lie)· He felt sure Adams was not convinced by such blatant lies. ► a barefaced lie British English, a bald-faced lie American English (=an obvious lie that is told with no sense of shame)· How can you stand there and tell me such a barefaced lie? ► an elaborate lie · Her parents didn’t realise that it was all an elaborate lie. ► a big lie · The lawyer said it was a ‘big lie’ that Jones had not received the message. phrases► a pack of lies informal (also a tissue of lies British English formal) (=a lot of lies)· Everything he had told me was a pack of lies. COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘say a lie’. Say tell a lie.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► lie ahead  Problems may lie ahead. ► lie/wait in ambush  Armed police lay in ambush behind the hedge. ► lie awake · Kate lay awake thinking about what had happened. ► barefaced lies  Why are you telling such barefaced lies? ► lie on the beach · I find it boring just lying on the beach all day. ► place/put/lay a bet on something · She placed a bet on a horse called Beethoven. ► the blame lies with somebody (=used to say that someone is responsible for something bad)· In this case, the blame lay with the police. ► lay/run a cable (=put one in position somewhere)· In the 1860s the first cables were laid under the oceans. ► fit/lay a carpet (=cut it to fit a room and fix it to the floor)· Will it cost extra to have the carpet fitted? ► draw up/lay down a code (=create one)· The syndicate decided to draw up a code of conduct for its members. ► lay down/set/impose conditions (=say what someone must agree to)· They laid down certain conditions before agreeing to the ceasefire. ► lie dead · If I’m late, Mum worries that I’m lying dead somewhere. ► lie/remain dormant  The seeds remain dormant until the spring. ► lay ... eggs  Blackbirds lay their eggs in March. ► place/lay emphasis on something formal· The coach has placed the emphasis firmly on youth by including three teenagers in the team. ► lay off employees (=stop employing them because there is no work for them to do)· Unions fear that many part-time employees will be laid off. ► lay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching)· The roof tiles are laid end to end. ► lay on/put on entertainment (=organize and provide it)· The organizers laid on some entertainment for the children. ► lie fallow  They let the land lie fallow for a year. ► lay flat  He lay flat on the floor. ► lay flat on ... back  That night I lay flat on my back and stared up at the ceiling. ► sit/lie/sleep on the floor · Officers found her lying face down on the floor. ► lay ... foundations  It took the builders three weeks to lay the foundations. ► somebody’s/something’s future lies in/with something (=it is in a particular thing)· The country’s economic future lies with its skilled workforce. ► prepare/lay the ground (=to provide the situation or conditions in which something can develop successfully) ► lay down/establish ground rules for something  Our book lays down the ground rules for building a patio successfully. ► hope lies in/with something (=something gives people hope)· Our real hope lies with a vaccine. ► lying idle  I cannot afford to leave the land lying idle. ► leave ... lying about  Don’t leave tools lying about. ► lie detector test  He was asked to take a lie detector test. ► have a lie down  I’m going upstairs to have a lie down. ► have a lie-in  I always have a lie-in on a Sunday. ► give your life/lay down your life (=die in order to save other people, or because of a strong belief)· These men gave their lives during the war to keep us free. ► where your loyalties lie (=who or what you are going to be loyal to)· Do your loyalties lie with your friends or your family? ► lay mines  They learnt how to lay mines (=put them in place). ► a mist hangs/lies somewhere (=stays in a place)· A thick mist lay on the hills. ► stand/sit/lie motionless  The men stood motionless as Weir held his finger to his lips. ► something’s origins lie in something (=something comes from a particular place or or develops from a particular situation)· a grape whose origins lie in northern Italy· The technique’s origins lie in the popular arts of the time. ► lay a pipe · They were digging a trench to lay water pipes. ► lay down a principle (=describe a principle and make it accepted)· The report lays down general principles for the teaching of English. ► the problem lies in/with something · The problem lies in the design of the rocket. ► lying prostrate  They found him lying prostrate on the floor. ► the responsibility lies with somebody (=they are responsible for it)· Ultimate responsibility for admissions lies with the Course Co-ordinator. ► be/lie at the root of something (=be the cause of something) Allergies are at the root of a lot of health problems. ► be/lie at the root of something  the liberal economic policies which lie at the root of American power ► spread lies/gossip · How dare you spread such vicious lies!· Has someone been spreading malicious gossip? ► set/lay down a standard · The government sets standards that all hospitals must reach. ► somebody's/something's strength lies in something · The show's strength lies in the fact that it appeals to all ages. ► set/lay the table (=put knives, forks etc on a table before a meal)· The table was set for fourteen. ► tell a lie · They told lies about us. ► lay/set a trap (for somebody)  Police had set a trap for hooligans at the match. ► a web of intrigue/deceit/deception/lies etc COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► big · These are three big lies that nutritionists and obesity experts say are making the rounds this season.· Having tracked the reform process from the start, we can say the official line is a big, fat lie. ► blatant · However, it was obviously a blatant lie that he had no idea that Hewett and Charlton were police officers. ► complete · That was her claim, but what followed was a complete lie in terms of the manifesto pledge. ► outright · Nothing so tempts us to believe outright lies and unfounded stories posing as science than the sensationalistic schlock therein.· He got up and briefly stepped outside to avoid telling an outright lie. ► white · Some orange badges, quite obviously, are gained by telling white lies.· There are white lies and white heat.· Why hadn't she told a white lie and claimed she had a licence?· What did it matter, a little white lie like that?· Do you get just a little sort of tap for a white lie but minced up for murder? VERB► believe · Yet at times such as this Charlotte wished she could still believe all the lies she had been told.· Nothing so tempts us to believe outright lies and unfounded stories posing as science than the sensationalistic schlock therein. ► give · But the Cambridgeshire result gives lie to the notion that nice guys can't win.· He heard the calm voice, but could feel the trembling body which gave it the lie.· Does not that hostility to the charter give the lie to the Opposition parties' request for freedom of information?· The quatrain poems give the lie to that.· The Bomb gives the lie to the false Enlightenment doctrine of perpetual progress.· They posed for photographers at the star-studded show, giving the lie to rumours they had been separated for several weeks.· Not far, she said, and then gave the lie by saying she'd plenty of petrol. ► live · If I accepted this relationship you seem to want, you'd come to hate me for making you live a lie.· If you live a lie, what is the next step?· It is toiling to live with a lie.· Now Diana will feel she need no longer go on living a lie trapped in a sham relationship.· He said he would not live with a lie.· All their married life she had been living a lie.· By refraining from questioning I've allowed Liza to go on living a lie. ► spread · Let them then spread all these lies. ► tell · She did not think Matilda was meaning to tell a lie.· But if there is no punishment, it is perfectly acceptable to tell lies.· In the process, it will inevitably begin to tell itself plausible lies.· Perhaps Lou had told him the monstrous lie that I didn't love him any more?· We can not tell a lie, so we confessed we were getting way too many.· Why hadn't she told a white lie and claimed she had a licence?· Hear me, my friends, for it is not the time for me to tell you a lie. Phrases PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► give the lie to something Their success gives the lie to predictions of the city's economic doom. A string of female rulers, from Boudicca to Margaret Thatcher, gives the lie to that idea. And the way Sir William treated him didn't give the lie to the notion. Chicken's feet used to give the lie to my bravura claim to Eat Anything, so long as it was recently dead. Does not that hostility to the charter give the lie to the Opposition parties' request for freedom of information? The Bomb gives the lie to the false Enlightenment doctrine of perpetual progress. The quatrain poems give the lie to that. The success of our manufactured exports gives the lie to the Opposition's portrayal of manufacturing. They posed for photographers at the star-studded show, giving the lie to rumours they had been separated for several weeks. ► the lie of the land► (I) tell a lie For one thing, telling a lie is like eating peanuts. However, telling lies to the police is assisting in the retention of stolen goods: Kanwar, above. No, I tell a lie. They fight viciously and tell lies to get each other into trouble. We can not tell a lie, so we confessed we were getting way too many. PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► sit/lie/lean back Craig sighed and leaned back in his chair. But no one can sit back in investment clubs and just listen. He must generate all his own internal discipline against the possible inclination to lie back and enjoy his good fortune. He sat back on his heels, sorrowfully examining the ruined glove. He walked without hesitation to the very front row, sat down and lay back, gazing up at the screen. She heard him returning just as she sat back to admire her handiwork. Then she lay back on her pillow and they looked at each other as if it was for the first time. We started to sit back because we were up on the No. 1 team in the nation. Whatever some think, we don't sit back. ► lay something bare The depth of the problem is laid bare in the fact that 40% of 18- to 25- year-olds are unemployed. The excavation laid bare the streets of the ancient city. ► you’ve made your bed and you must lie on it► be/lie at the bottom of something His girlfriend had been woken by the noise, and had found him lying at the bottom of the stairs. Holman lay at the bottom of the open grave where he'd been roughly dumped. Knowing that self-interest lay at the bottom of his proposal did not prevent my being grateful. Mind you're not found lying at the bottom of the steps with a broken neck like Amy Robsart. The female's sperm storage tubules are sausage-shaped and sperm lie at the bottom of the tube. The rest, including your own clothes, now lie at the bottom of some deep, evil-smelling swamp. To deliver water from these depths the pumping machine has to be at the bottom of the well. Your name will be at the bottom of the letter-why write it twice? ► put/lay your cards on the table If they're willing to put all their cards on the table and negotiate, that's good. If we want to reach an agreement, we'll have to lay all our cards on the table. They're willing to put all their cards on the table and negotiate. Come on, you can lay your cards on the table in this house. The new rules appear to encourage parties to lay their cards on the table and facilitate early settlements. ► lay an egg The first episode of the series laid an egg. A few species laid eggs beneath mounds of rotten vegetation that warmed as it decayed. Adults grow to varying sizes, depending on food available, and lay eggs in late summer. Female brush turkeys visit the males' mounds, lay eggs in them, and depart. Gravid female fig wasps enter figs, lay eggs and die. In turn the later reptiles could diversify on land when they could lay eggs away from a watery environment. The wasp lays eggs inside the eggs laid by the whitefly, thereby destroying the whitefly eggs. These mate, fly away and the females find new plants to lay eggs on. Within it, they copulate and lay eggs. ► lie back and think of England► set/lay/clap eyes on somebody/something Bedford disliked Halsey the minute he set eyes on him. How could she possibly know, since he had not set eyes on the girl? I bonded on the second night I laid eyes on Hyakutake. Just hours earlier she had set eyes on the pretty two-year-old and sister Anna-Camilla, seven, for the first time. Never anywhere have I set eyes on such a one. No sooner did she set eyes on the gentleman than she recognised his pecuniary position to be merely temporary. The couple fell in love before they had even set eyes on each other during a six-month long distance courtship. ► not lay a finger on somebody► lay/provide the foundation(s) for something Tests on healthy people may lay the foundation for a vaccine to prevent AIDS. I think you have to lay the foundation for your success in terms of defense and rebounding. It laid the foundation for an organisation with greater appeal to the deaf themselves, particularly the young. These arguments provide the foundation for Simmel's account of the contradictory nature of modern life. This theory also laid the foundation for the modern revolution in our understanding of the deepest parts of the earth. To generate fundamental knowledge that can lay the foundation for future advances in high-performance computing and communications. We could say that she is laying the foundations for dressing herself later on. What is stressed rather is that the same phenomenon provides the foundation for both historical tendencies. While incomplete, the steps that were taken laid the foundation for Workplace 2000. ► lay a guilt trip on somebody► lay your hands on something Government reports, social legislation, anything she could lay her hands on that would better acquaint her with her work. He will sell anything he can lay his hands on in exchange for drugs, which includes any information he may have. I know exactly where to lay my hands on them. I like writing letters and reading anything I can lay my hands on! Kabari women use whatever birth control technology they can lay their hands on. Looters carried clothes out of shop windows along with anything else they could lay their hands on. Monday I felt driven to eat everything I could lay my hands on. Some one had to overturn the present political arrangements in the Limousin if he was ever to lay his hands on Hautefort. ► time hangs/lies heavy on your hands► see/find out how the land lies► let something drop/rest/lie► live a lie Betts said he announced his homosexuality because he couldn't go on living a lie. I had to leave him - I couldn't go on living a lie. A few miles from the house where Irina and I live lies an old churchyard. All their married life she had been living a lie. But she was living a lie wasn't she? By refraining from questioning I've allowed Liza to go on living a lie. If I accepted this relationship you seem to want, you'd come to hate me for making you live a lie. If you live a lie, what is the next step? Now Diana will feel she need no longer go on living a lie trapped in a sham relationship. ► put/lay/set down a marker► nail a lie/myth► pack of lies It's a pack of lies. It could all have been a pack of lies that Uncle Max cooked up because it gave him such power over Tawno. Nicholas frankly admitted that for the most part the reports were a pack of lies. Or was it all a pack of lies to make me give in? ► patent lie/nonsense/impossibility etc► lay/put something to rest Many of the public's doubts have now been laid to rest. A second glance put my mind to rest, but for a moment there it gave me a turn. I think this definitely puts it to rest. Kwasniewski has said he may dissolve parliament to put the issue to rest and call for new elections. Rather it attempted to lay the movement to rest. She took the pills and lay down to rest with her eyes closed. The time has come to put this to rest. Then she lay down to rest in the lounge, surrounded by other women who even here never stopped talking. Without proof I should really lay the idea to rest. ► lay somebody to rest At nightfall she was tired and lay down to rest. Rather it attempted to lay the movement to rest. She took the pills and lay down to rest with her eyes closed. Then she lay down to rest in the lounge, surrounded by other women who even here never stopped talking. We can't even lay him to rest. Without proof I should really lay the idea to rest. ► be/lie in ruins Our economy lies in ruins. Whole blocks of the city were in ruins after the war. Abingdon's trade had been waning for some time, with its fulling mills lying in ruins and unemployment rife by 1538. Elizabeth Jarvis said it was like St Paul's Cathedral, miraculously saved while all around it lay in ruins. He thought the surrounding towns must lie in ruins now, too. I have said, and I say again, that Trantor will lie in ruins within the next five centuries. It was to lie in ruins for another sixty-one years. Large rural areas lay in ruins. The centrepiece was a gradual revaluation of the lira against the dollar-a strategy which now lies in ruins. ► lay siege to somebody/something After his victory Edward rallied his troops and marched north to lay siege to Calais. Almost ten years had passed since they had first laid siege to the town, and it seemed as strong as ever. He laid siege to the fortress and gradually weakened it to the point of collapse. In 476 they laid siege to Eion, which guarded the Strymon bridge. In June 1176 Richard laid siege to Limoges; after a few days resistance Aimar's citadel capitulated. In less than two generations, since the Second World War, they have laid siege to the academic world. She had laid siege to the typists' room for some minutes before Marshall had persuaded her downstairs. ► let sleeping dogs lie The best plan is just to let sleeping dogs lie. ► be/lie/sit sprawled (out) He was lying sprawled across the pillow leaning on his elbow, his head propped to one side, reading the letter. His rear gunner lay sprawled dead in the back. The next thing she knew, she was lying sprawled across the pavement. The observer lay sprawled across his gun, his blond hair streaming romantically in the wind. We may see a road accident but we shall never be sprawled out on the tarmacadam like that. ► lie in state He lay in state, for ever disgraced. He lay on the marble slab in the centre of the tiny oblong chapel like a king lying in state. He may as well have been lying in state. Jane was fearful for a moment that Flopsy might be lying in state. President to lie in state while he was still alive. ► therein lies something The treaty was imposed by force, and therein lay the cause of its ineffectiveness. ► a tissue of lies The Springall business was hidden by a tissue of lies. ► lay it on with a trowel Word family WORD FAMILYnounliarlieadjectivelyingverblie 1[countable] something that you say or write that you know is untrue:  I always know when he’s telling lies.lie about I knew that soon she would hear the lies about me.2give the lie to something formal to show that something is untrue:  This report gives the lie to the company’s claims.3the lie of the land a)the way that a situation is developing at a particular time:  I’ll talk to him and get the lie of the land before we go over. b)the way an area of land has been formed and the physical features it has4(I) tell a lie British English spoken used when you realize that something you have just said is not correct:  It was £25, no, tell a lie, £35. → live a lie at live1(16)COLLOCATIONSverbstell (somebody) a lie· He got into trouble for telling a lie.believe a lie· How could you believe his lies?spread lies (=tell them to a lot of people)· How dare you spread such vicious lies?adjectivesa complete/total/outright lie (=something that is completely untrue)· Of course the whole thing was a complete lie.· She didn't want to tell her mother an outright lie.a white lie (=a small lie that you tell someone for good reasons, for example to avoid hurting their feelings)· We all have to tell white lies sometimes.a downright lie (=used when something is clearly a lie, especially when you feel annoyed)· That’s a downright lie. I never said any such thing!a vicious lie (=one that is very unkind and very untrue)· He told the court that it was a vicious lie from beginning to end.a blatant lie (=an obvious lie)· He felt sure Adams was not convinced by such blatant lies.a barefaced lie British English, a bald-faced lie American English (=an obvious lie that is told with no sense of shame)· How can you stand there and tell me such a barefaced lie?an elaborate lie· Her parents didn’t realise that it was all an elaborate lie.a big lie· The lawyer said it was a ‘big lie’ that Jones had not received the message.phrasesa pack of lies informal (also a tissue of lies British English formal) (=a lot of lies)· Everything he had told me was a pack of lies.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘say a lie’. Say tell a lie.THESAURUSlie noun [countable] something you say or write that you know is untrue: · Would you tell lies to protect a friend?· The allegation is a complete lie.white lie noun [countable] informal a lie that you tell to avoid upsetting someone: · We all tell white lies sometimes.fib noun [countable] informal a lie, especially about something that is not very important – used especially by children: · Have you been telling fibs?porky noun [countable usually plural] British English informal a lie – a very informal use: · He’s been telling porkies again.falsehood noun [countable] formal a statement that is not true, especially one that is intended to give people the wrong idea about someone or something: · He described the allegations as malicious falsehoods.untruth noun [countable] formal a lie – used especially when you want to avoid saying the word lie: · Some workers go off and tell untruths about the organisations for which they are working.fabrication noun [countable, uncountable] formal a story or claim that someone has invented in order to deceive someone, or the act of doing this: · The claim was described as a fabrication by the police prosecutor.· He dismissed the charges as pure fabrication.libel noun [uncountable] law the crime of writing lies that could make people have a bad opinion of someone, especially in a newspaper or magazine: · She sued the newspaper for libel.· libel lawsslander noun [countable, uncountable] law the crime of speaking lies that could make people have a bad opinion of someone, or an untrue statement which does this: · He’s threatening to sue them for slander.· a slander on the good name of the company· Linking his name to terrorism was a slander.
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