# lie down

Pronunciation: say "ly-DOWN" /ˌlaɪ ˈdaʊn/

## Phrasal verb

1. To move into a flat, horizontal position, as on a bed, a sofa or the ground.
   - Simple: To put your body flat, for example on a bed or the floor.
   - _If you feel dizzy, lie down and put your feet up._
   - _The old dog lay down by the fire and was soon asleep._
3. To give in or submit passively, without resisting.
   - Simple: To accept something bad without trying to fight it.
   - _The workers refused to lie down and accept the pay cuts._
   - _Critics accused the senator of lying down in the face of pressure from his donors._
4. To be lazy or careless about one's duties.
   - Simple: To be lazy and not do what you should.
   - _The manager accused the night crew of lying down on the job._
   - _Inspectors found that the safety officer had been lying down on the job for months, signing reports he never checked._
5. A euphemism for having sexual intercourse with someone.
   - Simple: A gentle way of saying to have sex with someone.
   - _She swore she would not lie down with any man she did not love._
   - _In the old ballad, the shepherd lay down with the miller's daughter and was gone by morning._
6. Used as a standard command to a herding dog to lie flat, because the dog's position affects how the herd moves.
   - Simple: A word said to a sheepdog to make it lie flat, which helps control how the sheep move.
   - _"Lie down!" the shepherd called, and the collie dropped flat in the grass._
   - _When the flock began to scatter, she whistled twice and shouted, "Lie down, Bess!"_

## Noun · lie-down

Pronunciation: say "LY-down" /ˈlaɪ ˌdaʊn/

2. A short rest taken lying flat, as on a bed or sofa. *(Commonwealth)*
   - Simple: A short rest when you lie flat, for example on a bed.
   - _After the long drive, Gran went upstairs for a lie-down._
   - _The twins still need two lie-downs a day, or they're impossible by teatime._

## Origin

Formed from the verb phrase lie down.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/lie-down (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).