ENGLISH
REFERENCE

lying

n. · v. · adj.
US //ˈɫaɪɪŋ// UK //lˈaɪɪŋ// ly·ing
  1. 1 telling untruths (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the act of saying things that you know are not true.

    the practice or act of making false statements with the intent to deceive.

    Example

    He realized that lying to his parents only made the situation worse.

    Example

    The witness was accused of persistent lying during the cross-examination, which severely undermined the credibility of the defense.

    Usage

    Uncountable when referring to the general habit; countable when referring to specific instances.
  2. 2 resting horizontally (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    the action of being in a flat position on a surface, like a bed.

    the present participle of the intransitive verb 'lie', indicating a state of horizontal recumbency.

    Example

    I spent the whole afternoon lying on the grass and reading.

    Example

    Lying motionless on the forest floor, the researcher observed the rare birds without disturbing their natural behavior.

    Usage

    Intransitive; does not take a direct object.
    Pitfall
    The book is laying on the table.
    The book is lying on the table.

    Use 'lying' for something that is already in a flat position. Use 'laying' only if you are putting it there now.

  3. 3 untruthful (adj.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    describing someone who often tells lies.

    characterised by the habit of telling lies; mendacious.

    Example

    Don't believe a word he says; he is a lying cheat.

    Example

    The politician was forced to resign after a series of lying statements regarding his campaign finances came to light.

    Usage

    Usually placed before the noun it describes.
Etymology 1

lie (“to rest in a horizontal position”) + -ing.

Etymology 2

lie (“to intentionally give false information”) + -ing.

Etymology 3

lye. (a chemical liquid)

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

Last updated June 19, 2026