Lay vs. Lie: Usage Guide
Lay has been used intransitively in the sense of "lie"
since the 14th century. The practice was unremarked until around 1770; attempts to correct it have been a fixture of schoolbooks ever since. Generations of teachers and critics have succeeded in taming most literary and learned writing, but intransitive lay persists in familiar speech and is a bit more common in general prose than one might suspect. Much of the problem lies in the confusing similarity of the principal parts of the two words. Another influence may be a folk belief that lie is for people and lay is for things. Some commentators are ready to abandon the distinction, suggesting that lay is on the rise socially. But if it does rise to respectability, it is sure to do so slowly: many people have invested effort in learning to keep lie and lay distinct. Remember that even though many people do use lay for lie, others will judge you unfavorably if you do.
Examples of lie in a Sentence
Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 25 Sep. 2025
Hidden within veils of gas and dust lies the brilliant heart of Messier 82 (M82), better known as the Cigar Galaxy.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 25 Sep. 2025
Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 24 Sep. 2025
And in the movie’s eyes, that central lie is still passing along Bessie’s tragedy to new sets of ears, and thus neither our hero’s best friend nor that scared young boy in Eastern Europe is ever truly forgotten.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lie
Video
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
Cite this Entry
“Lie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lie. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lie
1 of 4 verblie
2 of 4 nounlie
3 of 4 verb
lie
4 of 4 nounVerb
Old English licgan "to get into or be in a horizontal position"
Verb
Old English lēogan "to say something that is not true"
Legal Definition
lie
intransitive verbScott v. Bradford, 606 P.2d 554 (1979)W. L. Prosser and W. P. KeetonD. Q. PosinBiographical Definition
Lie
2 of 2
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