lie There are a few different ways to use the word "lie." If a person doesn’t tell the truth, he or she lies. simple | past | past participle |
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lie | lied | lied |
- Tim lied to his mother. He said he didn’t break the window, but he did.
- The salesperson lied to the customer about the warranty on the television.
- Everyone in the office lied about the cake that Sarah made. They all said it was good, but it was actually awful.
- Bill told a lie to his wife. (This sentence uses "lie" as a noun.)
- If you tell enough lies, people will stop believing you. (This sentence also uses "lie" as a noun.)
Another way to use this word as a verb is when a person or a thing is in a horizontal position. It’s also used to describe a location. simple | past | past participle |
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lie | lay | lain |
- There’s a man lying on the street. Is he okay?
- The airport lies just north of the city. (In this sentence, "lie" is similar to the verb "be.")
- My cat lies around the house all day.
- The little girl lay motionless, pretending to be asleep.

- The man is lying in bed. (present continuous tense)
- He lies in bed all day. (present tense)
- He lay in bed all day yesterday. (past tense)
Note: The words "lie" and "lay" are often confused. Click here to go to the Word of the Day page. This page was first published on August 31, 2012. It was updated on July 13, 2015. |