🤥 To say untrue 🛏️ To rest flat ❌ A false statement 🔍 To exist ⛳ Position on ground

lie

42 6.3

The position of something, especially on the ground

noun
/laɪ/

: posición

There was something familiar about this place: the lie of the turf, the small rocks jutting out.

Examples

The lie of the land makes it ideal for building homes in this area.
They discovered the lie of the river as it wound through the valley.
Perhaps many more years still lie before him, or perhaps only a few.
But whatever hope we have lies with our artists.

Academic text (2013)
Did anyone go out and spy out the lie of the land?

Blood Freak (1972)
On his unmade bed lie church district maps which his mother made obsolete Tuesday.

Fiction book (2002)
The lie of the carpet showed uneven spots where it had not been installed properly.

Synonyms

position

vslie

∞ 1.0

The place where someone or something is placed

focuses more on how something rests on the ground or relates to nearby items

Idioms

not going to lie

Slang

24 8.3

A phrase that shows the next thing you say is honest

to live a lie

Informal

22 7.2

To hide the truth about yourself by pretending something else is true

to lie through one's teeth

Informal

11 7.6

Say something that is not true in a bold, obvious way

to let sleeping dogs lie

Informal

4 6.9

Avoid talking about old problems to prevent more arguments

where one's interests lie

1 6.2

The things or activities that matter most to someone

to lie at someone's door

7.8

To be someone's fault or responsibility

to make your bed and lie in it

Informal

7.0

To accept the bad results of your own choices

Compounds

lie detector

Specialized

52 4.4

A machine that measures blood pressure, pulse, and breathing to check if someone is lying

white lie

Informal

18 3.4

A small untrue statement people tell to avoid hurting someone's feelings

bald-faced lie

Informal

3 5.4

An obvious statement that is not true and said without shame

lie detector

Neologism

2 3.5

A computer system that checks speech, face, and behaviour to find lies

lie-in

1 6.1

Staying in bed later than usual to rest or relax

lie-abed

Archaic

9.9

A person who often stays in bed until late in the morning

lie-in

7.4

A public protest where people lie down to block access or draw attention

Surface Forms

lie singular

lies plural

Etymology

Lie meaning 'the position or arrangement of something' comes from the same idea as the verb 'to lie' meaning 'to rest', so the 'lie' of an object is how it lies on the ground, as in the 'lie' of a golf ball.