lie

 There are a few different ways to use the word "lie."

If a person doesn’t tell the truth, he or she lies.

• 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.

• 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.

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This page was first published on August 31, 2012. It was updated on July 13, 2015.