Lie down meaning
Lie down means to put your body flat on a bed or the floor, to rest.
lie down
lie down · lay · lain · lying
I feel dizzy. I need to lie down.
Lie down meanings and examples
One meaning, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Put your body flat on a bed or the floor, to rest
lie down
- I feel dizzy. I need to lie down.
- Lie down on your back and close your eyes.
- She didn’t lie down all day, so she’s very tired.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use lie down in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is lie down separable?
Lie down has no object. You lie down on something: lie down on the sofa. You cannot lie down a baby; for that, use lay: lay the baby down.
Lie is irregular: lie, lay, lain, lying. So yesterday I lay down, not I laid down. A lie-down is a short rest: I’m going for a lie-down.
Verb tenses for lie down
| Present | I lie down · she lies down |
|---|---|
| Past | lay down |
| Present perfect | have lain down |
| -ing form | lying down |
Common mistakes with lie down
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Yesterday I lied down after lunch.
Right: Yesterday I lay down after lunch.
The past of lie (rest) is lay; lied is the past of lie (not tell the truth).
Wrong: I’m laying down because my back hurts.
Right: I’m lying down because my back hurts.
The -ing form is lying; laying means putting something down.
Wrong: Lie down the baby gently.
Right: Lay the baby down gently.
Lie down has no object; use lay for putting someone down.
Synonyms and opposites of lie down
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- have a restrelax for a short time, not always lying
- take a napsleep for a short time in the day
- sit downmove into a sitting position
Lie down quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1If you have a headache, ___ in a dark room for a while.
Lie down means put your body flat to rest.
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2Choose the right sentence.
The past of lie (rest) is lay.
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3“Mum’s having a lie-down.” What is Mum doing?
A lie-down is a short rest lying on a bed or sofa.
Find your level
The phrasal verbs test adapts as you answer, from A2 to C1, and shows which ones you miss.
- put downB1place something you are holding on a table or the floor
- take downB2remove something from a wall or a high place, or take it apart
- come downA2move down to a lower place, towards the speaker
- go downB1become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
- turn downB2say no to an offer, an invitation or a person
- break downB2stop working, used for cars and machines
- fall downB1drop to the ground from a standing position
- cut downB1eat, drink or use less of something
Lie down FAQ
Questions people ask about lie down.
What is the past tense of lie down?
Lay down: I lay down for an hour. The participle is lain: I have lain down. Lied is only for not telling the truth.
Lie down or lay down?
You lie down yourself. You lay something or someone down: Lay the box down here. Many native speakers mix these up in speech.
What does take it lying down mean?
It means accept bad treatment without complaining: They cut my pay, and I won’t take it lying down.
Use lie down in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.