What does "lying" mean?
The act of one who lies, or keeps low to the ground.
Lying
/ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act of one who lies, or keeps low to the ground.
- Grammar: lying is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: fabrication, accubation, accumbency, accumbent.
- Useful contrasts: accurate, be honest, confessing.
- Usage evidence: I found myself lying in my bedroom.
How to use "lying"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "lying" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "lying" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "lying" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "lying" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "lying" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "fabrication" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "lying", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act of one who lies, or keeps low to the ground.
"1854, Saint Augustine, Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXIV, translated by Philip Schaff et al. But whom could the lyings in wait of the human heart escape?"
- 2 An act or telling a lie or falsehood; the practice of telling lies.
"[W]hether a man would fain be pleased with sin, or be quiet and fearless when he hath sinned, or continue in it, or persuade others to it, he must do it by false propositions, by lyings, and such weak discourses as none can believe but such as are born fools, or such as have made themselves so, or are made so by others."
- 3 the deliberate act of deviating from the truth wordnet
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of lie (“to rest in a horizontal position”) form-of, gerund, participle, present
"Without shutting herself up from her family ... or lying awake the whole night to indulge meditation, Elinor found every day afforded her leisure enough to think of Edward."
- 2 present participle and gerund of lie (“to intentionally give false information”) form-of, gerund, participle, present
- 3 simple past and past participle of lye form-of, participle, past
Adjective
- 1 Tending to tell lies, untruthful, mendacious not-comparable, usually
"Gloster: Then, Saunder, sit there, the lyingest knave in Christendom."
Antonyms
Example
"I found myself lying in my bedroom."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "lying"?
Common synonyms include: fabrication, accubation, accumbency, accumbent, couchancy, couchant.
How do you use "lying" in a sentence?
I found myself lying in my bedroom.
How do you pronounce "lying"?
Pronounced /ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
lie (“to rest in a horizontal position”) + -ing.
Etymology 2
lie (“to intentionally give false information”) + -ing.
Etymology 3
lye. (a chemical liquid)