Meaning & use
belies
Last updated
Third-person singular form of 'belie': to give a false impression of, or to contradict something.
See it in a sentence
His calm expression belies the panic he feels inside.
The tidy, quiet office belies the frantic pace of work that happens there every afternoon.
A note on using this word
A common error is confusing 'belie' with 'lie'; belie actually means to expose something as false or misleading, not simply to tell an untruth.
Words with a similar meaning
contradictsmisrepresents
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
confirmsreveals
Make it your own
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