English Reference
Idiom idiom

live a lie


To conceal something about oneself, without the knowledge of which others cannot know one's true character or perspective.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He feels guilty because he is living a lie.

CONTEXTUAL

She felt trapped in her marriage, knowing that pretending to be happy meant she was living a lie.

COMPLEX

For decades, he maintained a facade of success, yet he knew deep down that he was living a lie that would eventually unravel.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    devil lies in the details

    Synonym of devil is in the details.

  2. 02

    die the way one lived

    To die because of or after doing something characteristic of oneself, especially something that one enjoyed doing.

  3. 03

    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.

  4. 04

    give the lie to

    To reveal or prove (something) to be false; to refute.

  5. 05

    I can't lie

    To be honest, frankly, honestly.

  6. 06

    I tell a lie

    I am mistaken; I thought that what I said (or wrote) was true, but I have just realised that it is not.

  7. 07

    let a sleeping dog lie

    Alternative form of let sleeping dogs lie.

  8. 08

    let sleeping dogs lie

    To leave things as they are; especially, to avoid restarting or rekindling an old argument; to leave disagreements in the past.

Last updated August 10, 2026