lie down

verb

lay down; lain down; lying down; lies down

intransitive verb

1

: to submit meekly or abjectly to defeat, disappointment, or insult

—used chiefly in the phrase take (something) lying down

… if Walker does get the go-ahead to implement his anti-union law, the teachers in Madison aren't going to take it lying down, Matthew says. They may walk out on the job again.

—Matthew Rothschild

2

: to fail to perform or to neglect one's part deliberately

—used chiefly in the phrase lie down on the job

While the Sanitation Department was accused of lying down on the job, the police were accused of harassment …

—Walter Thabit

see also lie entry 1 sense 1b

Examples of lie down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Morell sat beside her, patiently waiting until her foster dog was ready to lie down and get cozy. —Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Sep. 2025

Royel Otis doesn’t do flashy gimmicks, make bold, brash statements or lay down anything that could be confused with cheese or syrup. —Lars Brandle, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2025

Kurt sang it lying down on his back, not an easy thing to do. —Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2025

The younger woman enters first and lies down on a towel, legs stretched long, hands by her sides, eyes shut. —Weike Wang, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lie down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.