lie
/laɪ̯/ verb A2- To rest in a horizontal position on a surface. · The book lies on the table; the snow lies on the roof; he lies in his coffin.· Under an oak were lying asleep a pair of shepherds.
- To be placed or situated.
- To abide; to remain for a longer or shorter time; to be in a certain state or condition. · to lie waste; to lie fallow; to lie open; to lie hidden; to lie grieving; to lie under one's displeasure; to lie at the mercy of the waves· The paper does not lie smooth on the wall.
- Used with in: to be or exist; to belong or pertain; to have an abiding place; to consist.
- Used with with: to have sexual relations with.
- Used with on/upon: to be incumbent (on); to be the responsibility of a person.
- To be still or quiet, like one lying down to rest.
- To be sustainable; to be capable of being maintained.
Plural lie · He/she/it lies · Past lay · Past participle lain · -ing form lying
Verb forms
- Base form
- lie
- He/she/it
- lies
- Past
- lay
- Past participle
- lain
- -ing form
- lying
An irregular verb: learn its past and past participle by heart.
Phrasal verbs and expressions
- lie around To do nothing in particular; to be idle.
- lie back To lie down by moving in a posterior direction, ending up...
- lie by To rest from labour; to take a break.
- lie down To assume a horizontal position.
- lie off To remain at a safe distance from (another vessel or hazard)
- lie over To be deferred to a future occasion.
From the library
It would not rest him to lie down, and he could not close his eyes; so he remained all night staring at a little spider which was weaving its web in a corner of the room, just as if it were not one of the most wonderful rooms in the world.
The Tin Woodman lay down on his bed from force of habit, for he remembered when he was made of flesh; but not being able to sleep, he passed the night moving his joints up and down to make sure they kept in good working order.
Even the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman could sit on it, and were drawn swiftly by their queer little horses to the place where the Lion lay asleep.
“No, you did not!” answered Caderousse, “you merely threw it by—I saw it lying in a corner.”
Other matches
- lie An intentionally false statement B1
- lie To knowingly give false information with intent... B2
- lie The terrain and conditions surrounding the ball... C2
- lie around To do nothing in particular
- lie back To lie down by moving in a posterior direction,...
- lie by To rest from labour
- lie down To assume a horizontal position.
- lie off To remain at a safe distance from
Learn lie in real texts
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