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Belied: meaning, definitions and examples

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belied

 

[ bɪˈlaɪd ]

Verb
Context #1 | Verb

to contradict

The word 'belied' means to contradict or show something to be false. It is often used to describe a situation where a person's appearance or actions are deceptive, revealing a contrast between what is apparent and what is true.

Synonyms

contradicted, disproved, falsified

Examples of usage

  • Her calm demeanor belied the chaos around her.
  • The statistics belied the common belief about crime rates.
  • His cheerful smile belied his true feelings of sadness.
Context #2 | Verb

to show falsehood

Additionally, 'belied' can refer to failing to fulfill or justify a claim, expectation, or appearance. In this sense, it is used to highlight a discrepancy between a promise and the reality.

Synonyms

betrayed, denied, disguised

Examples of usage

  • The team's performance belied their potential.
  • Their actions belied their words.
  • The luxury car's price belied its features.

Translations

Translations of the word "belied" in other languages:

🇵🇹 desmentido

🇮🇳 असत्य सिद्ध करना

🇩🇪 widersprechen

🇮🇩 mendustakan

🇺🇦 спростовувати

🇵🇱 zaprzeczyć

🇯🇵 否定する

🇫🇷 démentir

🇪🇸 desmentir

🇹🇷 yalanlamak

🇰🇷 부인하다

🇸🇦 ينكر

🇨🇿 vysvětlit

🇸🇰 vyvrátiť

🇨🇳 反驳

🇸🇮 ovrniti

🇮🇸 neita

🇰🇿 жалғандау

🇬🇪 უარყოფა

🇦🇿 təkzib etmək

🇲🇽 desmentir

Word origin

The word 'belie' has its roots in Old English 'beliegan', which means 'to lie to', composed of 'be-' indicating 'by' or 'around' and 'liegan' meaning 'to lie'. The term evolved through Middle English, where it maintained its meaning of deceiving or showing something to be false. Over the centuries, 'belie' has been incorporated into the English language to express the idea of contradiction, often revealing truth beneath a deceptive facade. Its usage has remained consistent in literature and everyday conversation, capturing the essence of appearances versus reality.

Word Frequency Rank

Positioned at #22,864, this word is part of extensive vocabulary. It's relatively rare in general usage but may be important in specific fields or formal writing.