lay Synonyms
Another word for lay
• verb (Context 1)
To put or set something down carefully or gently on a surface.
"Please set down the blueprints flat on the drafting table so everyone can examine them."
• verb (Context 2)
To put down and set in position for use, such as bricks, pipes, carpet, or a building foundation.
"The construction crew will install the concrete foundation as soon as the weather clears."
• verb (Context 3)
To produce and deposit an egg (of a female bird, insect, reptile, or amphibian).
"Sea turtles return to the same sandy beaches every year to deposit their eggs."
• adjective (Context 4)
Not having professional qualifications or specialized expert knowledge in a particular subject, such as medicine, science, or law.
"The doctor explained the complex diagnosis in simple terms that a nonprofessional audience could easily understand."
• verb (Context 5)
To prepare and arrange a table with plates, cutlery, and napkins for a meal.
"The children helped set the dining table before the dinner guests arrived."
• verb (Context 6)
To attribute, assign, or present something abstract, such as blame, a charge, a plan, or a wager.
"The inquiry refused to attribute the blame for the accident on any single individual."
• noun (Context 7)
The general appearance, arrangement, or relative position of an area of land or a situation.
"The surveyors climbed the ridge to observe the lie of the land before plotting the new road."
• adjective (Context 8)
Not ordained into the clergy or belonging to the general congregation rather than the ecclesiastical hierarchy.
"The parish council relies heavily on laic volunteers to organize community charity events."
• noun (Context 9)
A short narrative poem or lyric ballad intended to be sung, especially one composed by medieval minstrels.
"The medieval minstrel tuned his harp and recited an ancient ballad about Arthurian knights."
Opposites of lay
The opposite of lay shifts depending on context. Common opposites include: