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

Specifically, HaH patients spent just 18% of their time lying down and 12% being sedentary, whereas traditional hospital patients spent 55% of their time lying down and 23% being sedentary. —Jiang Li, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Lewis wasn't going to take that lying down, and in typical messy fashion, unloaded his hot takes on Whitfield. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Taking a deep breath, lying down or closing your eyes may not be an option. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Dec. 2024

Side effects may include high blood pressure (especially when lying down), scalp tingling, and headache. —Heidi Cope, Health, 6 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Video

Lay vs. Lie

Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.