belie Definition
- 1to give a false impression of something
- 2to show to be false; contradict
Using belie: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "belie" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
His calm face belies the fact that he is nervous.
Example
The smile on her face belies the pain she is feeling.
Example
The statistics belie the claims made by the company.
Example
Her actions belie her words.
belie Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for belie
Antonyms for belie
Idioms Using belie
Example
Believe it or not, I once saw a man walking his pet snake down the street.
Example
The children were playing make believe, pretending to be pirates on a ship.
Example
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the size of the cake - it was enormous!
Phrases with belie
to be different from what is expected based on how something looks
Example
The old house was belied by appearances, as it was actually quite modern inside.
Example
His claims were belied by the facts presented in the report.
Example
The politician's statements were belied by history, as they did not match up with the documented facts.
Origins of belie
from Middle English 'bileven', meaning 'to deceive', from Old English 'belēfan', meaning 'to believe'
Summary: belie in Brief
'Belie' [bih-lahy] means to give a false impression or to show something to be false. It is often used to describe situations where appearances are deceiving, such as 'The smile on her face belies the pain she is feeling.' 'Belie' can also be used in phrases like 'belied by appearances,' which means to be different from what is expected based on how something looks.