lie down

verb

lay down; lain down; lying down; lies down

intransitive verb

1

: to submit meekly or abjectly to defeat, disappointment, or insult

—used chiefly in the phrase take (something) lying down

… if Walker does get the go-ahead to implement his anti-union law, the teachers in Madison aren't going to take it lying down, Matthew says. They may walk out on the job again.

—Matthew Rothschild

2

: to fail to perform or to neglect one's part deliberately

—used chiefly in the phrase lie down on the job

While the Sanitation Department was accused of lying down on the job, the police were accused of harassment …

—Walter Thabit

see also lie entry 1 sense 1b

Examples of lie down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Anders Sörensen didn’t take no-calls lying down (this time). —Phil Thompson, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025

But the stand-up comedian isn’t one to take a betrayal like that lying down. —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 10 Apr. 2025

But Ava has learned from the best and won’t take this lying down. —Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2025

Stay upright after eating: Wait two to three hours before lying down after eating meals. Elevate the head of your bed: Sleeping with your head raised uses gravity to help keep acid down. —Elizabeth Barnes, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for lie down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.