Dictionary - lie

lie 1 (lies, lying, lay, lain) verb

1. to be or put yourself in a position in which your body is flat on a surface such as the floor or a bed: She was lying on the beach reading a book. [] Emma was lying on her stomach on the couch. --> LAY
2. to be on a particular surface: The gun was lying on the ground next to him.
3. to be in a particular position or place: The farm lay a few miles to the north.
4. used for talking about things such as plans, ideas, and qualities and what they consist of: The difficulty lies in knowing what to do next.
5. if something lies in a particular state, it is in that state: The castle lay in ruins.
6. (lies, lying, lied) to deliberately say something that is not true: It was obvious that she was lying. [] He had to lie about his age to get into the army. [] She admitted lying to the police.

• PHRASES

1. lie ahead to be going to happen in the future: A grand future lies ahead of him.
2. lie in wait (for sb) to hide so that you can attack someone when they pass you
3. lie low to hide, or to try to avoid attracting attention to yurself

• PHRASAL VERBS

1. lie back to move from a sitting position into a position in which you are lying on a surface
2. lie down to put yourself in a position in which your body is flat on a surface, especially in order to rest or to sleep: I'm going to go and lie down for a while.

lie 2 noun something that you say or write that you know is not true: He told them he could drive, but it was a lie. [] Most children tell lies sometimes.