noun
Common
lying
LEYE-ihng
Lying (noun) means the act of telling lies; dishonesty in speech. Example: “His constant lying eventually cost him his friends' trust.”
noun
1
The act of telling lies; dishonesty in speech.
"His constant lying eventually cost him his friends' trust."
"Lying to your teacher will only make the problem worse."
"I hate lying, so I always try to tell the truth."
adj
1
Habitually untruthful; dishonest.
"She called him a lying cheat in front of everyone."
"That lying salesman promised the car had never been in an accident."
"Nobody believed the lying witness after his story kept changing."
verb
1
Present participle of "lie" — either telling untruths, or resting in a horizontal position.
"He was lying on the sofa when the phone rang."
"She admitted lying about her age on the application."
"The cat was lying in a patch of sunlight by the window."
How to use lying
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither "resting flat" or "telling untruths", depending on which verb "lie" it comes from.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with "laying", which needs an object (you lay something down, but you yourself lie down).
Easily confused with
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Word forms
- Plural
- lyings
- Comparative
- more lying, lyinger
- Superlative
- most lying, lyingest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
His constant _____ eventually cost him his friends' trust.
Etymology
From "lie" plus the suffix "-ing" — note that English has two unrelated verbs "to lie" (rest horizontally) and "to lie" (tell an untruth), both of which form "lying".
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for lying
See all rhymes for lying →Frequently asked questions
What does “lying” mean?
The word “lying” means the act of telling lies; dishonesty in speech. In plain terms, either "resting flat" or "telling untruths", depending on which verb "lie" it comes from.
How do you pronounce “lying”?
“Lying” is pronounced LEYE-ihng (/ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “lying” in a sentence?
Here is “lying” used in a sentence: “His constant lying eventually cost him his friends' trust.”
What part of speech is “lying”?
Depending on how it is used, “lying” can be a noun, an adjective and a verb.
Is “lying” a common word?
“Lying” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “lying” have?
“Lying” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the act of telling lies; dishonesty in speech.
What is the difference between lying and laying?
Lying, in this sense, means telling untruths. Laying means placing something down, as in laying a book on a table. The two also split as verbs: you lie down yourself, but you lay an object somewhere. Because lay and lie overlap in some tenses, their -ing forms are especially easy to muddle.
Is lying always wrong?
Most ethical traditions treat lying as wrong because it breaks trust and misleads others. Some argue small white lies can spare feelings or prevent harm. As a definition, though, lying is simply speaking dishonestly; whether a particular lie is justified is a moral question people continue to debate.
What are the different types of lying?
Common forms include outright false statements, white lies meant to be harmless, exaggeration, and lies of omission, where someone misleads by leaving out the truth. Fabrication invents detail, while a bald-faced lie is told even when the truth is obvious. All of them share the aim of creating a false impression.
What is the opposite of lying?
The opposite is honesty or truth-telling, speaking accurately and sincerely so that others are not misled. Related ideas include candour, frankness, and integrity. Where lying creates a false impression on purpose, truthfulness means your words genuinely match what you believe to be true.
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