Katherine T. KinkeadAmerican Guide Series: Pennsylvania
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"What is a lie?" asks Lord Byron in Don Juan. He then answers himself: "'Tis but the truth in masquerade...." The history of belie illustrates a certain connection between lying and masquerading as something other than one is. In Old English, belie meant "to deceive by lying," but in time, it came to mean "to tell lies about," taking on a sense similar to that of the modern word slander. Eventually, its meaning softened, shifting from an act of outright lying to one of mere misrepresentation; by the 1700s, the word was being used in the sense "to disguise or conceal." Nowadays, belie is typically applied when someone or something gives an impression that is in disagreement with the facts, rather than in contexts where there is an intentional untruth. A happy face put on to set others at ease, for example, may belie an internal disgruntlement.
Examples of belie in a Sentence
Naveen Rao, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
Yet such a setting is belied by numerous examples, both recent and throughout history.
—Salah Ben Hammou, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
Perfect lead blocking helped — but so does speed that belies just how big the 250-pound back is.
—NBC News, 30 Sep. 2024
Its sleek, sedate facade belies some wonderful surprises, including a restaurant with furniture by Charlotte Perriand and a bijou sculpture garden, which includes a monumental limestone piece by land artist Richard Long.
—Alexandra Zagalsky, theweek, 1 Nov. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near belie
Cite this Entry
“Belie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belie. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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belie
verb
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