Lay is a transitive verb, and it is also a past tense of another verb, lie.
To lay something somewhere means to put it there carefully or neatly.
The other forms of lay are lays, laying, laid.
Lie is an intransitive verb with two different meanings.
To lie somewhere means to be there in a horizontal position, or to get into that position.
When lie is used like this, its other forms are lies, lying, lay, lain. The -ed participle lain is rarely used.
To lie means to say or write something which you know is untrue. When lie is used like this, its other forms are lies, lying, lied.
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Noun | 1. | ![]() fib, taradiddle, tarradiddle, tale, story - a trivial lie; "he told a fib about eating his spinach"; "how can I stop my child from telling stories?" jactitation - (law) a false boast that can harm others; especially a false claim to be married to someone (formerly actionable at law) white lie - an unimportant lie (especially one told to be tactful or polite) |
2. | Lie - Norwegian diplomat who was the first Secretary General of the United Nations (1896-1968) | |
3. | lie - position or manner in which something is situated | |
Verb | 1. | lie - be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position be - occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere; "Where is my umbrella?" "The toolshed is in the back"; "What is behind this behavior?" nestle - lie in a sheltered position; "The little cottage nestles in the forest" intervene - be placed or located between other things or extend between spaces and events; "This interludes intervenes between the two movements"; "Eight days intervened" top - be at the top of or constitute the top or highest point; "A star tops the Christmas Tree" mediate - occupy an intermediate or middle position or form a connecting link or stage between two others; "mediate between the old and the new" ride - lie moored or anchored; "Ship rides at anchor" lap - lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another focalise, focalize, localise, localize - concentrate on a particular place or spot; "The infection has localized in the left eye" slant - lie obliquely; "A scar slanted across his face" underlie - lie underneath front, face, look - be oriented in a certain direction, often with respect to another reference point; be opposite to; "The house looks north"; "My backyard look onto the pond"; "The building faces the park" back - be in back of; "My garage backs their yard" flank - be located at the sides of something or somebody head - be in the front of or on top of; "The list was headed by the name of the president" look across, look out on, look out over, overlook - be oriented in a certain direction; "The house looks out on a tennis court"; "The apartment overlooks the Hudson" |
2. | lie - be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position; "The sick man lay in bed all day"; "the books are lying on the shelf" sprawl - sit or lie with one's limbs spread out overlie - lie upon; lie on top of; "the granite overlies the older rocks" lie awake - lie without sleeping; "She was so worried, she lay awake all night long" repose - lie when dead; "Mao reposes in his mausoleum" bask - be exposed; "The seals were basking in the sun" | |
3. | lie - originate (in); "The problems dwell in the social injustices in this country" | |
4. | lie - be and remain in a particular state or condition; "lie dormant" be - have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun); "John is rich"; "This is not a good answer" | |
5. | lie - tell an untruth; pretend with intent to deceive; "Don't lie to your parents"; "She lied when she told me she was only 29" romance - tell romantic or exaggerated lies; "This author romanced his trip to an exotic country" perjure - knowingly tell an untruth in a legal court and render oneself guilty of perjury fib - tell a relatively insignificant lie; "Fibbing is not acceptable, even if you don't call it lying" | |
6. | lie - have a place in relation to something else; "The fate of Bosnia lies in the hands of the West"; "The responsibility rests with the Allies" be - occupy a certain position or area; be somewhere; "Where is my umbrella?" "The toolshed is in the back"; "What is behind this behavior?" lie - be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position | |
7. | lie - assume a reclining position; "lie down on the bed until you feel better" lie - be lying, be prostrate; be in a horizontal position; "The sick man lay in bed all day"; "the books are lying on the shelf" change posture - undergo a change in bodily posture stretch out, stretch - lie down comfortably; "To enjoy the picnic, we stretched out on the grass" charge - lie down on command, of hunting dogs |