Word of the Day

: June 27, 2007

belie

verb bih-LYE

What It Means

1 a : to give a false impression of

b : to present an appearance not in agreement with

2 a : to show (something) to be false or wrong

b : to run counter to : contradict

3 : disguise

belie in Context

Martin's easy banter and relaxed attitude belied his nervousness.

Did You Know?

"What is a lie?" asked Lord Byron in Don Juan. He then answered himself: "'Tis but the truth in masquerade. . . ." The history of "belie" illustrates a certain connection between lying and disguising. In its earliest known use, around A.D. 1000, "belie" meant "to deceive by lying." By the 1200s, it was being used to mean "to tell lies about," using a sense similar to that of the modern word "slander." Over time its meaning softened, shifting from an act of outright lying to one of mere misrepresentation, and by the early 1700s, the word was being used in the sense "to disguise or conceal." Nowadays, "belie" suggests giving an impression at variance with the facts rather than telling an intentional untruth.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.