take lying down

verb

To endure without complaint or protest.

“I don't know what they expect, but I am certainly not going to take this lying down.”

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Meanings

verbtake lying down (third-person singular simple present takes lying down, present participle taking lying down, simple past took lying down, past participle taken lying down)

present singular third person takes lying down · participle present taking lying down · past took lying down · participle past taken lying down

  1. transitiveTo endure without complaint or protest.

    I don't know what they expect, but I am certainly not going to take this lying down.

    1 more example

    Thai police prevented a commemoration on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre from taking place outside the Chinese embassy in Bangkok. Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal, the event's young organizer, didn't take it lying down, though.

    2020 June 4, UCA News Reporter, “Thai activists get creative to mark Tianamen massacre”, in La Croix International, Bayard, archived from the original on 05 Jun 2020

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
gut upnut up

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 逆來順受 /逆来顺受, 袖手旁觀 /袖手旁观
  • 逆來順受 /逆来顺受 (nìláishùnshòu)endure without complaint
  • 袖手旁觀 /袖手旁观 (xiùshǒupángguān)endure without complaint
  • 忍氣吞聲 /忍气吞声 (rěnqìtūnshēng)endure without complaint
  • 隱忍不發 /隐忍不发 (yǐnrěnbùfā)endure without complaint
Finnish niellä purematta
  • niellä puremattaendure without complaint
French accepter sans protester, accepter sans broncher
  • accepter sans protesterendure without complaint
  • accepter sans broncherendure without complaint
  • accepter sans rien direendure without complaint
  • se laisser faireendure without complaint
Polish znosić po cichu
  • znosić po cichuendure without complaint
Portuguese engolir
  • engolirendure without complaint
Cite this entry
APA

take lying down. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20lying%20down

MLA

“take lying down.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20lying%20down. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take lying down,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20lying%20down.

Source: take lying down on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.