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Definition of belie verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

belie

verb
 
/bɪˈlaɪ/
 
/bɪˈlaɪ/
(formal)
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they belie
 
/bɪˈlaɪ/
 
/bɪˈlaɪ/
he / she / it belies
 
/bɪˈlaɪz/
 
/bɪˈlaɪz/
past simple belied
 
/bɪˈlaɪd/
 
/bɪˈlaɪd/
past participle belied
 
/bɪˈlaɪd/
 
/bɪˈlaɪd/
-ing form belying
 
/bɪˈlaɪɪŋ/
 
/bɪˈlaɪɪŋ/
jump to other results
  1. belie something to give a false impression of somebody/something
    • My calm exterior belies my deep inner fear.
  2. belie something to show that something cannot be true or correct
    • Government claims that there is no poverty are belied by the number of homeless people on the streets.
  3. Word OriginOld English belēogan ‘deceive by lying’, from be- ‘about’ + lēogan ‘to lie’. Current senses date from the 17th cent.
See belie in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
trait
noun
 
 
From the Word list
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B2
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