belie
verb
be·lie bi-ˈlī 
bē-
belied; belying
transitive verb
1
a
: to give a false impression of
Her gentleness belies her strength.
b
: to present an appearance not in agreement with
His manner and appearance belie his age.
2
a
: to show (something) to be false or wrong
The evidence belies their claims of innocence.
b
: to run counter to : contradict
… appeared to belie all the rosy things I had heard about it.
Katherine T. Kinkead
Katherine T. Kinkead3
: disguise sense 3
An air of rural charm … belies the community's industrial activity. American Guide Series: Pennsylvania
American Guide Series: Pennsylvania belier
bi-ˈlī(-ə)r
noun bē-
Did you know?
"What is a lie?" asked Lord Byron in Don Juan. He then answered himself: "'Tis but the truth in masquerade...." The history of belie illustrates a certain connection between lying and disguising. In Old English, belie meant "to deceive by lying," and, in time, was used 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, and by the early 1700s, the word was being used in the sense "to disguise or conceal." Nowadays, belie suggests giving an impression at variance with the facts rather than telling an intentional untruth.
Synonyms
- misrepresent
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a tree whose delicate beauty belies its real toughness Their actions belie their claim to be innocent.
Recent Examples on the Web Poor House Mountain is dotted with stately homes that belie the name. Rekha Tenjarla, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022 Murakami’s work — colorful, poppy imagery inspired by Japanese manga, anime and a range of other pop cultural influences and historical art references — is brimming with darker undertones that belie the work’s lighthearted surface. Michelle Groskopf, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2022 Fueling its success: an exacting management style and demanding internal culture that belie its buoyant public image, say employees at its U.S. offices. Georgia Wells, WSJ, 6 May 2022 Everlane carries them all, at price points that belie how rich each item really feels. Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 Apr. 2022 As with many Toyotas, the BZ4X has some aggressive design elements on the outside that belie a refreshingly mundane experience on the inside. Peter Valdes-dapena, CNN, 12 Apr. 2022 Pecky Cypress wood beams and floor-to-ceiling windows are some of the classic features of this home that belie its modern construction — it was only built in 1995. Ko Lyn Cheang, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Mar. 2022 Those young artist shows, and really the entire festival, belie the dated canard that jazz is old people’s music. Brett Campbell | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 16 Aug. 2022 However, these conversations belie the fact that those same VCs won’t be writing a check anytime soon. Peter Pezaris, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2022 See More
Rekha Tenjarla, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2022 Murakami’s work — colorful, poppy imagery inspired by Japanese manga, anime and a range of other pop cultural influences and historical art references — is brimming with darker undertones that belie the work’s lighthearted surface. Michelle Groskopf, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2022 Fueling its success: an exacting management style and demanding internal culture that belie its buoyant public image, say employees at its U.S. offices. Georgia Wells, WSJ, 6 May 2022 Everlane carries them all, at price points that belie how rich each item really feels. Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 29 Apr. 2022 As with many Toyotas, the BZ4X has some aggressive design elements on the outside that belie a refreshingly mundane experience on the inside. Peter Valdes-dapena, CNN, 12 Apr. 2022 Pecky Cypress wood beams and floor-to-ceiling windows are some of the classic features of this home that belie its modern construction — it was only built in 1995. Ko Lyn Cheang, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Mar. 2022 Those young artist shows, and really the entire festival, belie the dated canard that jazz is old people’s music. Brett Campbell | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, 16 Aug. 2022 However, these conversations belie the fact that those same VCs won’t be writing a check anytime soon. Peter Pezaris, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English belien, going back to Old English belēogan, from be- be- + lēogan "to lie entry 3"
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Kids Definition
belie
verb
be·lie bi-ˈlī
belied; belying
1
: to give a false idea of
Her voice was strong and even, belying her eighty-two years. Kevin Henkes, Olive's Ocean
Kevin Henkes, Olive's Ocean2
: to show to be false
Their actions belie their claim of innocence.
belying
verb
1
as in misrepresenting
to give a misleading impression of his bright smile belied his actual mood, which was really one of great sadness Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- misrepresenting
- obscuring
- concealing
- contradicting
- hiding
- masking
- disguising
- misleading
- distorting
- deceiving
- feigning
- camouflaging
- falsifying
- misreporting
- cloaking
- pretending
- twisting
- counterfeiting
- dissembling
- garbling
- coloring
- misrendering
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- representing
- betraying
- evincing
- revealing
- exhibiting
- disclosing
- exposing
- demonstrating
- baring
- discovering
- parading
- flaunting
- showing off
2
as in refuting
to prove to be false the latest information belies the old theory Synonyms & Similar Words
- refuting
- overturning
- disproving
- challenging
- discrediting
- falsifying
- confuting
- confounding
- rebutting
- debunking
- questioning
- doubting
- discussing
- contesting
- disconfirming
- shooting down
- mistrusting
- giving the lie to
- overthrowing
- debating
- talking over
- querying
- mooting
- hashing (over)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- proving
- confirming
- establishing
- showing
- verifying
- documenting
- validating
- supporting
- evincing
- witnessing
- recording
- evidencing
- attesting
- identifying
- corroborating
- backing (up)
- displaying
- demonstrating
- certifying
- illustrating
- substantiating
- buttressing
- manifesting
- adducing
- authenticating
3
as in obscuring
to keep secret or shut off from view the security council issued false assurances that belied the true gravity of the situation Synonyms & Similar Words
- obscuring
- concealing
- hiding
- disguising
- covering
- masking
- suppressing
- overshadowing
- veiling
- shrouding
- cloaking
- enshrouding
- blanketing
- curtaining
- occulting
- blocking
- blotting out
- camouflaging
- papering over
- screening
- burying
- eclipsing
- obstructing
- smothering
- clouding
- whitewashing
- occluding
- darkening
- shading
- gilding
- varnishing
- overcasting
- beclouding
- befogging
- covering (up)
- glossing (over)
- bedimming
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- showing
- displaying
- revealing
- exposing
- baring
- disclosing
- presenting
- divulging
- uncovering
- unveiling
- unmasking
- bringing out
- proclaiming
- clarifying
- uncloaking
- illuminating
- spreading
- publicizing
- airing
- advertising
- broadcasting
- publishing
- getting out
- phylloidal
- phylloids
- phyllomancy
- phyllomania
- phyllomaniac
- phyllome
- phyllomes
- phyllomorph
- phyllomorphic
- phyllomorphosis
- phyllomorphous
- phyllomorphy
- phyllonite
- Phyllophaga
- phyllophagan
- phyllophagic
- phyllophagous
- phyllophore
- phyllophorous
- phyllopod
- Phyllopoda
- phyllopodan
- phyllopodia
- phyllopodic
- phyllopodium