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Glite Dictionary
to lie down

to lie down

403 1.0
To put your body flat on a bed to rest or sleep
  • phrasal verb
  • /laɪ daʊn/
: tumbarse
  • Feeling tired, she decided to lie down for a quick nap before dinner.
  • lie down to sleep
  • lie down in bed
  • lie down at night

I want to lie down in southern Georgia.

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Examples

  • - Come on, let's just go to my room and lie down.

    Crazy Eyes (2012)

  • I'm going to lie down and stop talking.

  • I think we should lie down now.

  • You know, I gotta... I gotta lie down.

    Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

  • I just wanna lie down in a nice, cool place.

    Blind Date (1987)

  • In the room, I take off my shoes and lie down on the bed.

    Academic text (2007)

  • I take off my shoes, lie down, and wait for night to come.

    Academic text (2007)

  • I'll be all right as soon as I can get some place where I can lie down.

    The Maltese Falcon (1941)

  • I'm just going to lie down for a little bit.

  • Well, I'll do the dishes, then I'm going to lie down for a minute and rest.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

to lie
vsto lie down
∞ 1.0

To rest flat on a surface

focuses on actively placing the body flat usually to rest or sleep
to stretch out
vsto lie down
33 2.5

Lie down with your body straight to rest or relax

involves placing the body flat but not necessarily fully extended
to bed down
vsto lie down
8 4.5

To sleep in a temporary place like a barn or tent

describes placing the body flat usually to rest without implying sleep
to recline
vsto lie down
6 2.9

To make someone lean back into a comfortable position

is about placing the whole body flat rather than tilting or leaning parts
to bunk down
vsto lie down
  • Informal
6 6.8

To sleep in a temporary place like on the floor or in the living room

is the general act of placing the body flat to rest without temporary context
to lay supine
vsto lie down
  • Specialized
1 6.2

To lie on your back with your face up

refers to placing the body flat without specifying orientation
to lig
vsto lie down
  • Archaic
9.9

To lie down and rest

is the standard term for placing the body flat to rest or sleep

Antonyms

to stand up
378 1.0

To get up from sitting or lying and be on your feet

to sit up
165 1.0

To move from lying down to an upright position

to arise
33 3.0

Get up from bed, a chair, or the floor

How Reclined

prostrate
8 7.0
to lie down
403 1.0
to recline
17 3.2
to lean
590 1.5

Surface Forms

lie down infinitive
lying down present participle
lies down third person singular
lay down past
lain down past participle

Morphology

lie + down

The meaning 'to put your body in a flat or horizontal position' is directly and transparently built from 'lie' (be horizontal) plus 'down' (toward a lower position). This verb+particle composition follows a common, predictable pattern in English (and in many other languages), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Lie down comes from the simple image of putting your body flat: you lie and move down onto a bed, sofa, or the ground to rest. So it means 'to put your body in a flat position', usually to rest or sleep.