Meaning & use
belie
To give a false or misleading impression of something, often contradicting the truth.
See it in a sentence
Her calm expression belied the panic she felt rising inside her.
The company's shiny advertisements belied its poor treatment of factory workers.
A note on using this word
Belie is often confused with 'betray,' but belie specifically means to create a false appearance, while betray can mean to reveal something unintentionally.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
confirmreveal
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “belie”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.