lie with
Verb: 1. To have sexual intercourse with: This is the primary and most common meaning of the phrase "lie with". It is a euphemistic and somewhat archaic or literary way to describe a sexual relationship.
The phrase "lie with" is a transitive verb phrase. It is used with an object (the person one has intercourse with). * It often carries a formal, biblical, or poetic tone. * In modern, everyday English, it is considered old-fashioned. More common contemporary phrases include "sleep with" or "have sex with".
- Biblical/Literary: "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived...". In modern translations, "knew" is often rendered as "lay with".
- Historical/Narrative: "The king lay with the maiden and she bore him a son."
- Formal Accusation: "Did you lie with this man?" (This sounds formal and dated).
- The phrase can sometimes imply a sense of responsibility or consequence stemming from the act, especially in older texts.
- It is almost exclusively used in the past tense ("lay with") or past participle ("lain with").
- Sleep with (verb phrase): A common modern synonym for "lie with".
- Be intimate with (verb phrase): A more formal or gentle synonym.
- Have sexual relations with (verb phrase): A clinical or formal synonym.
- Sleep with
- Have sex with
- Make love to (implies affection)
- Couple with
The verb "lie" (to recline) is irregular: * Present: lie (with) * Past: lay (with) * Past Participle: lain (with)
Do not confuse it with the regular verb "lay" (to put something down). The correct forms for this phrase are: "He lies with her", "He lay with her", "He has lain with her".
- have sexual intercourse with
- This student sleeps with everyone in her dorm
- Adam knew Eve
- Were you ever intimate with this man?