to be or put yourself in a flat position so that you are not standing or sitting
Example:
- to lie on your back/side/front
- She lay in bed listening to music.
- Lie there for a bit until you feel better.
- I lay awake all night worrying about it.
- The cat was lying fast asleep by the fire.
Extra examples:
- She likes to lie in bed all day.
- He was lying next to his wife in bed.
- I lay on the sofa reading my book.
- I lay on the grass and fell asleep.
- She wouldn't enjoy a holiday just lying on the beach.
- A man lay dead in the middle of the road.
- They found her lying in a pool of blood.
- They found him lying unconscious at the foot of the stairs.
- He fell on the floor and just lay there not moving.
- Her body lay motionless on the bed.
- Lying there listening to music, I felt at peace.
- He just lay there smiling.
- They stole her belongings while she lay helpless on the bed.
- A sleeping dog lies at his feet.
- He was lying face down in the mud.
- I was lying flat on the floor.
- Lie face up on the floor.
- Lie still and try to sleep.
- Lie still while I put the bandage on.
- They lay quietly for a while.
- He lay on his stomach.
- She lay sprawled on the sofa.
- He was lying naked on the bed.
- She lay on her back and looked up at the sky.
- The painting depicts a male figure lying prone.
to be or remain in a flat position on a surface
Example:
- Clothes were lying all over the floor.
- She picked up a pen that was lying nearby.
- The book lay open on the desk.
- Make sure the fabric lies flat.
Extra examples:
- He just leaves his wet towel lying on the carpet.
- Broken glass lay scattered all over the floor.
- An empty pill bottle lay on the bedside table.
- He found a piece of quartz lying on the sand.
- She left the letter lying unread on her desk for a week.
- He tried to pick up the gun that was lying close by.
- A stack of waffles lay next to a pile of blueberry pancakes.
- The books lay gathering dust on the shelf.
- Debris and rubble lay everywhere.
- The cables, pipes and wires that serve New York lie as deep as 800 feet underground.
- The ship now lies at the bottom of the sea.
to be, remain or be kept in a particular state
Example:
- Houses lie empty while people are homeless.
- These machines have lain idle since the factory closed.
- Snow was lying thick on the ground.
- Much of the city now lay in ruins.
- a ship lying at anchor
- I'd rather use my money than leave it lying in the bank.
Extra examples:
- The seeds lie dormant in the soil throughout the winter.
- Passengers were standing up while first class seats lay empty.
- Too many apartments are lying vacant.
- The field is left to lie fallow.
- These Roman ruins have lain undiscovered for two thousand years.
- This precious film lay untouched in an attic.
- Our plans lay in ruins.
- Their dreams lay in tatters.
to exist or be found
Example:
- The problem lies in deciding when to intervene.
- Our strength lies in our loyal customer base.
- The fault lies with you.
- The answer seems to lie elsewhere.
- We need to consider carefully where our best interests lie.
- Different people see quite different things in this film, and therein lies its genius.
Extra examples:
- My main interest lies in his early work.
- The big difference between them lies in their attitudes.
- Her strength lies in her ability to understand her opponent's thinking.
- The challenge lies in the fact that most people do not like to plan so far ahead.
- The appeal of his paintings lies in their simplicity and boldness.
- The answer lies in your hands.
- Where does the answer lie?
- Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between.
- The really important things lie outside our narrow concerns.
- This is an issue that lies very close to my heart.
- All the power lies with him in this situation.
- Our sympathies lie with the main character.
- Thousands of units would be needed, and therein lies the challenge.
- Cloning endangered species may seem a wonderful idea, but where would scientists stop? Herein lies the danger.
- We can guess what lies at the root of her problems: money.
- Joy and love lie at the heart of all his films.
- At the heart of this story there lies a puzzle.
- Between the two of them there lay an unspoken tension.
to be located in a particular place
Example:
- The town lies on the coast.
- An island lies in the middle of the lagoon.
Extra examples:
- The building dates from around 1700 and lies close to the centre of Vienna.
- The village lies in the foothills of the Dolomites.
- The site lies next to the old library building.
- There's a field lying next to the barn.
- We walked to a stream that lay nearby.
- The palace lies just outside the city walls.
- The airport lies 50 miles east of the city.
- These nations lie close to the sea lanes between Europe and China and Japan.
to be spread out in a particular place
Example:
- The valley lay below us.
to be in a particular position during a competition
Example:
- Thompson is lying in fourth place.
- After five games the German team are lying second.