Belie
to show to be false; contradict:
His trembling hands belied his calm voice.
to misrepresent:
The newspaper belied the facts.
to act unworthily according to the standards of (a tradition, one’s ancestry, one’s faith, etc.).
Archaic. to lie about; slander.
Contemporary Examples
The broad sweep of The Sleepwalkers seems at first to belie its central thesis.
The Utterly Pointless First World War Michael F. Bishop May 21, 2013
Those questions are what belie the real problem with effort.
‘Me. I Am Mariah…The Elusive Chanteuse’ Review: We. We Are Underwhelmed Kevin Fallon May 26, 2014
This obviously contributes to under-reporting and may belie the campus’ safety records.
No Rapes On Campus? No Way. Emily Shire July 4, 2014
Iott says his antics are “purely historical” and belie neither interest nor belief in the tenets of National Socialism.
The Daily Beast 2010 Political Awards Samuel P. Jacobs December 20, 2010
Historical Examples
This incident of his infancy was accepted as an augury of his maturity, and he did not belie it.
The Lives of the Saints, Volume II (of 16): February Sabine Baring-Gould
Archer’s horse did not belie the character he had given of him.
Frank Fairlegh Frank E. Smedley
The means of your deliverance are certain, provided your courage does not belie your appearance.’
The History of Sandford and Merton Thomas Day
She laughed to belie her words, but the note of agitation was not to be concealed.
The Highgrader William MacLeod Raine
As though to belie any idea of safety, a voice suddenly came from Thomson upstairs: ‘Gadsby,’ he shouted, ‘come up!
Chatterbox, 1906 Various
This assertion seems to belie Pitt’s reputation for truthfulness.
William Pitt and the Great War John Holland Rose
verb (transitive) -lies, -lying, -lied
to show to be untrue; contradict
to misrepresent; disguise the nature of: the report belied the real extent of the damage
to fail to justify; disappoint
v.
Old English beleogan “to deceive by lies,” from be- + lie (v.1) “to lie, tell lies.” Current sense of “to contradict as a lie” is first recorded 1640s. The other verb lie once also had a formation like this, from Old English belicgan, which meant “to encompass, beleaguer,” and in Middle English was a euphemism for “to have sex with” (i.e. “to lie with carnally”).
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- Belief
something believed; an opinion or conviction: a belief that the earth is flat. confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof: a statement unworthy of belief. confidence; faith; trust: a child’s belief in his parents. a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith: the Christian belief. Contemporary Examples […]
- Believe
to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so: Only if one believes in something can one act purposefully. to have confidence or faith in the truth of (a positive assertion, story, etc.); give credence to. to have confidence in […]
- Belittle
to regard or portray as less impressive or important than appearances indicate; depreciate; disparage. Contemporary Examples I ask Cupp if she thinks news editors start their meetings by asking, “How can we belittle Christianity today?” The Right’s Favorite Atheist Benyamin Cohen June 12, 2010 Hand it off to a hen-pecked husband or a put-upon assistant […]
- Belong
to be in the relation of a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (usually followed by to): He belongs to the Knights of Columbus. to have the proper qualifications, especially social qualifications, to be a member of a group: You don’t belong in this club. to be proper or due; be properly or appropriately placed, situated, etc.: […]
- Belonging
something that belongs. belongings, possessions; goods; personal effects. to be in the relation of a member, adherent, inhabitant, etc. (usually followed by to): He belongs to the Knights of Columbus. to have the proper qualifications, especially social qualifications, to be a member of a group: You don’t belong in this club. to be proper or […]