lie ill in one's mouth

verb

To sound artificial or contradictory.

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Meanings

verblie ill in one's mouth (third-person singular simple present lies ill in one's mouth, present participle lying ill in one's mouth, simple past lay ill in one's mouth, past participle lain ill in one's mouth)

present singular third person lies ill in one's mouth · participle present lying ill in one's mouth · past lay ill in one's mouth · participle past lain ill in one's mouth

  1. idiomaticintransitiveTo sound artificial or contradictory.

    Connolly himself proved the complete pragmatist and it lies ill in his mouth to rail against lack of creativity when his influence has contributed to it.

    2005 December 5, Brian Moore, “Little to be gained from this type of southern comfort”, in The Telegraph
Cite this entry
APA

lie ill in one's mouth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lie%20ill%20in%20one's%20mouth

MLA

“lie ill in one's mouth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lie%20ill%20in%20one's%20mouth. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lie ill in one's mouth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lie%20ill%20in%20one's%20mouth.

Source: lie ill in one's mouth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.