lying
lying — verb
1. to be in a position where your body is flat against a surface such as a bed, the
to be in a position where your body is flat against a surface such as a bed, the ground, or a sofa — used when this action is happening now or was happening in the past.
Wei was lying on the grass, watching clouds drift across the sky.
lie + on + surface for horizontal position
A pair of old boots was lying under the bed, covered in dust.
The nurse found Otis lying in a hospital bed with his eyes closed.
Camila prefers lying on her side when she reads before sleep.
- reclining
more formal; suggests a relaxed, comfortable position
- stretched out
emphasises full length of the body
- resting
focuses on the purpose (to rest) rather than the position
文法句型
lie + prepositional phrase (on/in/by/near/under)
用法筆記
Frequently confused with 'laying' (the present participle of 'lay', which needs a direct object: 'laying the book on the table'). 'Lying' in this sense is intransitive — nothing is being placed. The past tense is 'lay' and the past participle is 'lain'.
常見錯誤
2. to say something that you know is not true, with the intention of making someone
to say something that you know is not true, with the intention of making someone believe it — for example, telling your parents you finished your homework when you did not, or claiming to have a qualification you never earned.
Anong knew her brother was lying about finishing his homework.
lie + about + noun phrase
Meera was caught lying to her manager about the missing documents.
passive: be caught lying to + person
The politician was accused of lying that taxes would be lowered.
James admitted lying about his age on the online form.
- fibbing
informal; suggests a small, less serious lie
- being dishonest
broader; includes deception beyond just spoken words
- telling the truth
direct opposite
- being honest
opposite character trait
文法句型
lie + about + noun phrase
lie + to + person
lie + that-clause
用法筆記
This is the only sense of 'lying' where the past tense is regular (lied). The horizontal-position sense uses 'lay' as past tense and 'lain' as past participle. The -ing form 'lying' is shared by both verbs, so context is the only clue.
常見錯誤
lying — adjective
1. containing or consisting of deliberate falsehoods; describing information that t
containing or consisting of deliberate falsehoods; describing information that the speaker or writer knows is not true — for example, a report that hides the facts about a factory's safety, or promises a candidate never intends to keep.
Talia refused to sign the lying document that blamed the wrong person.
The newspaper printed a lying account of the city council meeting.
attributive: lying + account/report/statement
Xiu was tired of the lying statements made by every election campaign.
The company faced a fine for publishing lying claims about its medicine.
- false
broader — can describe mistakes without intent to deceive
- dishonest
focuses on the person's character rather than the statement
- untruthful
slightly more formal; implies deliberate falsehood
- misleading
may be true but arranged to create a wrong impression
文法句型
lying + noun (statement/claim/account/promise/report)
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, 'false' or 'dishonest' are much more common than 'lying' as an adjective. 'Lying' in this form is more typical of written English, especially legal or journalistic contexts where the intent to deceive is being asserted.