lying
/ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈlaɪ.ɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈlī-iŋ/ (ame, mw)
lying — 動詞
- lyingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- lyings3rd person singular
- lyinging-ing form
- lyingedpast simple
1. to be in a position where your body is flat against a surface such as a bed, the
躺著
身體平躺或物體平放
to be in a position where your body is flat against a surface such as a bed, the ground, or a sofa — used when this action is happening now or was happening in the past.
Wei was lying on the grass, watching clouds drift across the sky.
Wei 躺在草地上，看著雲朵在天空飄過。
lie + on + surface for horizontal position
A pair of old boots was lying under the bed, covered in dust.
一雙舊靴子躺在床底下，上面佈滿灰塵。
The nurse found Otis lying in a hospital bed with his eyes closed.
護士發現 Otis 躺在病床上，雙眼緊閉。
Camila prefers lying on her side when she reads before sleep.
Camila 睡覺前喜歡側躺著看書。
- reclining
more formal; suggests a relaxed, comfortable position
- stretched out
emphasises full length of the body
- resting
focuses on the purpose (to rest) rather than the position
文法句型
lie + prepositional phrase (on/in/by/near/under)
用法筆記
Frequently confused with 'laying' (the present participle of 'lay', which needs a direct object: 'laying the book on the table'). 'Lying' in this sense is intransitive — nothing is being placed. The past tense is 'lay' and the past participle is 'lain'.
常見錯誤
2. to say something that you know is not true, with the intention of making someone
說謊
故意說不真實的話
to say something that you know is not true, with the intention of making someone believe it — for example, telling your parents you finished your homework when you did not, or claiming to have a qualification you never earned.
Anong knew her brother was lying about finishing his homework.
Anong 知道弟弟在說謊，說自己完成了功課。
lie + about + noun phrase
Meera was caught lying to her manager about the missing documents.
Meera 被發現對主管說謊，隱瞞了文件遺失的事。
passive: be caught lying to + person
The politician was accused of lying that taxes would be lowered.
那位政治人物被指控謊稱會降低稅收。
James admitted lying about his age on the online form.
James 承認在線上表單中謊報了年齡。
- fibbing
informal; suggests a small, less serious lie
- being dishonest
broader; includes deception beyond just spoken words
- telling the truth
direct opposite
- being honest
opposite character trait
文法句型
lie + about + noun phrase
lie + to + person
lie + that-clause
用法筆記
This is the only sense of 'lying' where the past tense is regular (lied). The horizontal-position sense uses 'lay' as past tense and 'lain' as past participle. The -ing form 'lying' is shared by both verbs, so context is the only clue.
常見錯誤
lying — 形容詞
- lyingpositive
- more lyingcomparative
- most lyingsuperlative
1. containing or consisting of deliberate falsehoods; describing information that t
虛假的
包含不實陳述或蓄意欺騙的
containing or consisting of deliberate falsehoods; describing information that the speaker or writer knows is not true — for example, a report that hides the facts about a factory's safety, or promises a candidate never intends to keep.
Talia refused to sign the lying document that blamed the wrong person.
Talia 拒絕簽署那份將過錯推給別人的虛假文件。
The newspaper printed a lying account of the city council meeting.
那家報紙刊登了一篇關於市議會會議的不實報導。
attributive: lying + account/report/statement
Xiu was tired of the lying statements made by every election campaign.
Xiu 已經厭倦了每次選舉時發表的虛假言論。
The company faced a fine for publishing lying claims about its medicine.
該公司因發布關於其藥品的不實聲明而面臨罰款。
- false
broader — can describe mistakes without intent to deceive
- dishonest
focuses on the person's character rather than the statement
- untruthful
slightly more formal; implies deliberate falsehood
- misleading
may be true but arranged to create a wrong impression
文法句型
lying + noun (statement/claim/account/promise/report)
用法筆記
In everyday conversation, 'false' or 'dishonest' are much more common than 'lying' as an adjective. 'Lying' in this form is more typical of written English, especially legal or journalistic contexts where the intent to deceive is being asserted.