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Belie vs Disguise - What's the difference?

belie | disguise |

In transitive terms the difference between belie and disguise

is that belie is to contradict, to show (something) to be false while disguise is to avoid giving away or revealing (something secret); to hide by a false appearance.

As verbs the difference between belie and disguise

is that belie is to lie around; encompass while disguise is to change the appearance of (a person or thing) so as to hide, or to assume an identity.

As a noun disguise is

attire (e.g. clothing, makeup) used to hide one's identity or assume another.

belie

English

Alternative forms

*

Etymology 1

From (etyl) belyen, beliggen, from (etyl) belicgan, . Cognate with German beliegen.

Verb

  • (obsolete) To lie around; encompass.
  • (transitive, obsolete, of an army) To surround; beleaguer.

    • Etymology 2

    From (etyl) belyen, .

    Verb

  • To tell lies about; to slander.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him.
  • To give a false representation of, to misrepresent.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Should I do so, I should belie my thoughts.
  • *, II.2.6.iv:
    • He found it by experience, and made good use of it in his own person, if Plutarch belie him not […].
  • To contradict, to show (something) to be false.
  • * Dryden
    • Their trembling hearts belie their boastful tongues.
    Her obvious nervousness belied what she said.
  • To be shown false by contradicting (something) that is true; to conceal the contradictory or ironic presence of (something).
  • * 2013 , Elizabeth Koh, "Fighting Pest, Farmers Find Strange Ally: A Drought," New York Times, August 31, 2013
    • The rosy outlook belies a struggle to achieve statewide eradication that has persisted since the insect first crossed the border from Mexico around 1892.
    His calm demeanor belied his inner sense of guilt.
  • To show, evince, demonstrate: to show (something) to be present, particularly something deemed contradictory or ironic.
  • * 1993 , Carol A. Mossman, Politics and Narratives of Birth: Gynocolonization from Rousseau to Zola , Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-41586-6, page 28:
    • A host of evidence is adduced by the accused, evidence whose sometimes self-contradictory nature belies a certain desperation.
  • (obsolete) To mimic; to counterfeit.
    • (Dryden)
  • (obsolete) To fill with lies.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The breath of slander doth belie all corners of the world.
    Synonyms
    * (to give a false representation) misrepresent * (to tell lies about) calumniate * (to contradict or show to be false) contradict, give lie to, give the lie to

    disguise

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Attire (e.g. clothing, makeup) used to hide one's identity or assume another.
    • ''That cape and mask complete his disguise .
  • (figuratively) The appearance of something on the outside which masks what's beneath.
  • The act of disguising, notably as a ploy
    • ''Any disguise may expose soldiers to be deemed enemy spies.

    Synonyms

    * camouflage * guise * mask * pretense

    Verb

  • To change the appearance of (a person or thing) so as to hide, or to assume an identity.
    • Spies often disguise themselves.
  • * Macaulay
    • Bunyan was forced to disguise himself as a wagoner.
  • To avoid giving away or revealing (something secret); to hide by a false appearance.
    • He disguised his true intentions.
  • (archaic) To affect or change by liquor; to intoxicate.
  • * Spectator
    • I have just left the right worshipful, and his myrmidons, about a sneaker or five gallons; the whole magistracy was pretty well disguised before I gave them the ship.

    Synonyms

    * cloak * mask * hide

    Derived terms

    * disguisedly * disguisement * disguiser