Belie is a verba word that shows an action, occurrence, or state with two related but distinct meanings. It can mean to seem to contradictto say or show that something is not true or opposite something, or to give a false impressionan idea or feeling someone gets from appearance or behavior of something.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /bih-LY/
Easy pronunciation: bih-LY (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Primary sense: to be in contradiction with or seem not to match.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Belie Meaning
to show that something is not true or not as it seems
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to be in contradiction with or seem not to match
Example: His calm voice belied the stress he was feeling.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- contradict — Works when something goes against what is said or expected.
- negate — Can work in formal contexts when one thing cancels out or disproves another.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Belie
Meaning 2
to give a false picture of something
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to represent falsely
Example: The report belied the true extent of the problem.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- misrepresent — Matches the sense of presenting something inaccurately or falsely.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Belie Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- contradict
- negate
to represent falsely
- misrepresent
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Belie is often confused with believe, but they are different words and mean different things.
- Belie does not usually mean 'to prove' or 'to hide' in ordinary modern usage.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does belie mean in simple English?
It means to show that something is not really what it seems, or to give a false impression of it.
What is a common synonym for belie?
Contradict is a common synonym when belie means to go against or conflict with something.
Is belie the same as believe?
No. Belie means to conflict with or falsely present something, while believe means to accept something as true.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
