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Literary notes about belie (AI summary)

In literature, the word “belie” is deployed to contrast outward appearances with an underlying truth or reality. Authors often use it to indicate that a person or thing does not fully represent what is expected from its external attributes, suggesting a disjunction between what is seen and what is true ([1], [2]). In dramatic dialogue, as in Shakespeare’s lines ([3], [4]), it becomes a sharp accusation of deceit or misrepresentation, while in narrative prose, it can underscore ironic mismatches between reputation and actual qualities ([5], [6]). This nuanced use adds layers of meaning to characterizations and situations, inviting readers to question the reliability of first impressions.
  1. He does not belie his looks, for he possesses these qualifications in a high degree.
    — from Popular Adventure Tales by Mayne Reid
  2. The latter's aspect did not belie his reputation.
    — from The Spirit of the Border: A Romance of the Early Settlers in the Ohio Valley by Zane Grey
  3. EMILIA Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil.
    — from Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare
  4. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil.
    — from The Complete Works of William Shakespeare by William Shakespeare
  5. The admission of that, he replied, would belie our former admissions.
    — from Protagoras by Plato
  6. Yes, he was decidedly mean-looking, nor did his character, as it came out, belie his appearance.
    — from The Boy's Own Book of Indoor Games and RecreationsA Popular Encyclopædia for Boys by Gordon Stables

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