Imbue vs Belie - What's the difference?
imbue | belie |
(transitive): To wet or stain an object completely with some physical quality.
In general, to act in a way which results in an object becoming completely permeated or impregnated by some quality.
(obsolete) To lie around; encompass.
(transitive, obsolete, of an army) To surround; beleaguer.
To tell lies about; to slander.
* Shakespeare
To give a false representation of, to misrepresent.
* Shakespeare
*, II.2.6.iv:
To contradict, to show (something) to be false.
* Dryden
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,"
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,
(obsolete) To mimic; to counterfeit.
(obsolete) To fill with lies.
* Shakespeare
In lang=en terms the difference between imbue and belie
is that imbue is (transitive): to wet or stain an object completely with some physical quality while belie is to contradict, to show (something) to be false.As verbs the difference between imbue and belie
is that imbue is (transitive): to wet or stain an object completely with some physical quality while belie is (obsolete) to lie around; encompass or belie can be to tell lies about; to slander.imbue
English
Verb
(imbu)- The shirt was imbued with his scent.
- The entire text is imbued with the sense of melancholy and hopelessness.
Usage notes
* Imbue takes meaning from the word imbibe, which means "to absorb or to be filled with".belie
English
Alternative forms
*Etymology 1
From (etyl) belyen, beliggen, from (etyl) belicgan, . Cognate with German beliegen.Verb
Etymology 2
From (etyl) belyen, .Verb
- Thou dost belie him, Percy, thou dost belie him.
- Should I do so, I should belie my thoughts.
- He found it by experience, and made good use of it in his own person, if Plutarch belie him not […].
- Their trembling hearts belie their boastful tongues.
- Her obvious nervousness belied what she said.
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.
page 28:
- A host of evidence is adduced by the accused, evidence whose sometimes self-contradictory nature belies a certain desperation.
- (Dryden)
- The breath of slander doth belie all corners of the world.