I. POSITION OR SITUATION
/laɪ/
( lies, lying, lay, lain)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Please look at category 8 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1.
If you are lying somewhere, you are in a horizontal position and are not standing or sitting.
There was a child lying on the ground...
He lay awake watching her for a long time.
VERB : V prep / adv , V adj
2.
If an object lies in a particular place, it is in a flat position in that place.
...a newspaper lying on a nearby couch...
Broken glass lay scattered on the carpet.
VERB : V prep / adv , V adj
3.
If you say that a place lies in a particular position or direction, you mean that it is situated there.
The islands lie at the southern end of the Kurile chain.
= sit
VERB : V prep / adv
4.
You can use lie to say that something is or remains in a particular state or condition. For example, if something lies forgotten , it has been and remains forgotten.
The picture lay hidden in the archives for over 40 years...
His country’s economy lies in ruins.
V-LINK : V adj , V prep
5.
You can use lie to say what position a competitor or team is in during a competition. ( mainly BRIT )
I was going well and was lying fourth...
Blyth Tait is lying in second place.
VERB : V ord , V in n
6.
You can talk about where something such as a problem, solution, or fault lies to say what you think it consists of, involves, or is caused by.
The problem lay in the large amounts spent on defence...
VERB : V prep / adv
7.
You use lie in expressions such as lie ahead , lie in store , and lie in wait when you are talking about what someone is going to experience in the future, especially when it is something unpleasant or difficult.
She’d need all her strength and bravery to cope with what lay in store...
The President’s most serious challenges lie ahead.
VERB : V prep / adv , V prep / adv
8.
to lie in state: see state
to take something lying down: see take
II. THINGS THAT ARE NOT TRUE
/laɪ/
( lies, lying, lied)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
A lie is something that someone says or writes which they know is untrue.
‘Who else do you work for?’—‘No one.’—‘That’s a lie.’...
I’ve had enough of your lies...
All the boys told lies about their adventures.
N-COUNT
see also white lie
2.
If someone is lying , they are saying something which they know is not true.
I know he’s lying...
If asked, he lies about his age...
She lied to her husband so she could meet her lover...
He reportedly called her ‘a lying little twit’.
VERB : V , V about n , V to n , V-ing
• ly‧ing
Lying is something that I will not tolerate.
N-UNCOUNT
3.
If you say that something lies , you mean that it does not express or represent something accurately.
The camera can sometimes lie.
VERB : V
4.
see also lying