belie
AI In plain words
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
belie¹
- /bɪˈlaɪ/ UK
- /bəˈlaɪ/ UK
- /bɪˈlaɪ/ US
- /bəˈlaɪ/ US
- /biˈlaɪ/ US
Rhymes with -aɪ
Where it comes from
From Middle English belyen, beliggen, from Old English beliċġan, biliċġan (“to lie around, surround, hedge in, encompass”), from Proto-West Germanic *biliggjan, from Proto-Germanic *biligjaną (“to lie around”). Equivalent to be- (“around, by”) + lie (“to be positioned”).
verb belies · belying · belay · belain · bely
- To lie around; encompass. When little worlds collide, I'm trapped inside my embryonic cell / And flashing memories are cast into the never-ending well / The name that scorns the face / The child that never sees the cause of man / The deathly darkness that / Belies the fate of those who never ran
- To surround; beleaguer.
belie²
- /bɪˈlaɪ/ UK
- /bəˈlaɪ/ UK
- /bɪˈlaɪ/ US
- /bəˈlaɪ/ US
- /biˈlaɪ/ US
Rhymes with -aɪ
Where it comes from
From Middle English belyen, beleoȝen, from Old English belēogan (“to deceive by lying, be mistaken”), from Proto-West Germanic *bileugan (“to belie”). Equivalent to be- (“about”) + lie (“to deceive”). Compare Dutch beliegen (“to lie about, tell lies”), German belügen (“to lie to someone”).
verb belies · belying · belied · bely
- To tell lies about. Thou do’ſt bely him Percy, thou doſt bely him; / He never did encounter with Glendower:
- To give a false representation of. Her smooth complexion and dark hair belie her actual age.
- To contradict, to show (something) to be false. Her obvious nervousness belied what she said.
- To call a liar; to accuse of falsehood. They haue belyed the Lord, and ſaid; It is not he, neither ſhall euill come vpon vs, neither ſhal we ſee ſwoꝛd noꝛ famine.
- To fill with lies; to lie to. No, ’tis Slander, / Whoſe edge is ſharper then the Sword, whoſe tongue / Out-venomes all the Wormes of Nyle, whoſe breath / Rides on the poſting windes, / and doth belye All corners of the World.
- To conceal the contradictory or ironic presence of (something). His calm demeanor belied his inner sense of guilt.
- To show, evince or demonstrate (something) to be present, particularly something deemed contradictory or ironic. A host of evidence is adduced by the accused, evidence whose sometimes self-contradictory nature belies a certain desperation
- To mimic; to counterfeit. Which durſt with horſes hoofs that beat the ground / And Martial brass bely the thunders ſound.
