lying

¹

[lahy-ing]

noun

1. the telling of lies, or false statements; untruthfulness.

   From boyhood, he has never been good at lying.

   Synonyms: prevarication, mendacity, falsity, falsehood
   Antonyms: veracity, truth

adjective

1. telling or containing lies; deliberately untruthful; deceitful; false.

   a lying report.

   Synonyms: counterfeit, sham, fallacious, mendacious, misleading, deceptive
   Antonyms: trustworthy, accurate, correct, actual, candid, true

lying

²

[lahy-ing]

verb

1. present participle of lie.

lying

¹

/ ˈlaɪɪŋ /

verb

1. the present participle and gerund of lie 1

lying

²

/ ˈlaɪɪŋ /

verb

1. the present participle and gerund of lie 2

Other Word Forms

• lyingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of lying¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English; lie ¹, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Dennis is indeed twinless — not by a twist of fate but because he came into this world a singleton and is lying.

From Los Angeles Times

But she’s not the only one who is either deluded or lying about the implications.

From Salon

Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington called Kennedy a “charlatan,” and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren accused him of “lying” about his intentions during his confirmation hearing.

From Salon

During three hours of testimony, Democrats accused the US health secretary of lying and restricting Americans' access to vaccines, while several Republican senators also raised concerns.

From BBC

Whether I was in bed, at the pool, or lying on my private patio, the thoughtfully designed spaces always encouraged me to look out and up.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• misleading