belie

verb

be·lie bi-ˈlī

bē-

belied; belying

Synonyms of belie

transitive verb

: to give a false impression of

Her gentleness belies her strength.

: to present an appearance not in agreement with

His manner and appearance belie his age.

: to show (something) to be false or wrong

The evidence belies their claims of innocence.

: to run counter to : contradict

… appeared to belie all the rosy things I had heard about it.—Katherine T. Kinkead

: disguise sense 3

An air of rural charm … belies the community's industrial activity.—American Guide Series: Pennsylvania

belier

bi-ˈlī(-ə)r

bē-

noun

Did you know?

"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

a tree whose delicate beauty belies its real toughness Their actions belie their claim to be innocent.

Recent Examples on the Web

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But the Italian showed a composure that belied his age to calmly move up the pack as chaos unfolded around him at Albert Park. —Dan Cancian, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025 Wun’s versatility and willingness to explore beyond his comfort zone not only enhance his technical skills but also reflect a maturity in improvisation that belies his age. —Heide Janssen, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025 Voronkov, whose hands belie his size, made a nifty move to get Shesterkin lunging and missing at the puck. —Aaron Portzline, The Athletic, 16 Mar. 2025 But in a manner which belied her age, Andreeva refocused in the decisive set by breaking her Polish opponent twice in the first five games and ran away to clinch her second victory over Świątek in as many tournaments. —Ben Morse, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for belie