give the lie
To respond to an insult, accusation, or falsehood by saying the offender is lying, particularly in the context of provoking a challenge to a duel.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“His actions give the lie to his claims of honesty.”
“You must give the lie to anyone who calls you a thief.”
“The discovery of the hidden documents served to give the lie to the manager's public statement about the company's finances.”
“The knight felt he had to give the lie to his rival after being accused of cowardice during the royal banquet.”
“When the captain insulted his family's honor, the young officer felt he had no choice but to give the lie and demand a formal apology on the field.”
“The sudden appearance of the witness at the trial served to give the lie to the defendant’s elaborate alibi, effectively dismantling his entire defense in front of the jury.”
From *give* + *the* + *lie*, appearing in English as a formal accusation of falsehood. The construction preserves an obsolete sense of the noun *lie*, which historically referred to the specific charge or claim that another person was lying. To give the lie was to deliver this formal challenge to a speaker’s veracity.
- 01
devil lies in the details
Synonym of devil is in the details.
- 02
don't give up your day job
Somewhat sarcastic but usually good-natured advice used to criticise a person's degree of talent (especially in music or other performing arts), implying that they are unlikely to be successful.
- 03
give a damn
To be concerned about, have an interest in, to care (about something).
- 04
give a fuck
To care; to give a shit.
- 05
give a good account of oneself
To act in a creditable manner.
- 06
give a hang
give a hoot; give a damn (to care about; to place value on something)
- 07
give a hoot
To care about; to place value on something.
- 08
give a light
To care.
Last updated August 10, 2026