Skip to content

The word for today is…

belie (verb):

1a: to give a false impression of

b: to present an appearance not in agreement with

2a: to show (something) to be false or wrong

b: to run counter to : contradict

3: disguise

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : "What is a lie?" asks Lord Byron in Don Juan. He then answers himself: "'Tis but the truth in masquerade...." The history of belie illustrates a certain connection between lying and masquerading as something other than one is. In Old English, belie meant "to deceive by lying," but in time, it came to mean "to tell lies about," taking on a sense similar to that of the modern word slander. Eventually, its meaning softened, shifting from an act of outright lying to one of mere misrepresentation; by the 1700s, the word was being used in the sense "to disguise or conceal." Nowadays, belie is typically applied when someone or something gives an impression that is in disagreement with the facts, rather than in contexts where there is an intentional untruth. A happy face put on to set others at ease, for example, may belie an internal disgruntlement.

If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Face of the Day

Face of the Day

Brian Denys McFarlane, 56, was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court on Thursday to nine years and four months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of nine historical sexual offending charges.

Members Public
The Good Oil Word of the Day

The Good Oil Word of the Day

The word for today is… corrode (verb) - 1: to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing, especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action 2: to weaken or destroy gradually : undermine Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Corrode comes from the Latin verb corrōdere, meaning "to gnaw or chew

Members Public