LAY: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for LAY?

Need another word that means the same as “lay”? Find 70 synonyms and 30 related words for “lay” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Lay” are: put down, repose, place, pose, position, put, set, set down, deposit, rest, situate, sit, settle, stow, balance, station, drop, leave, let fall, throw down, fling down, deploy, locate, devise, arrange, contrive, make, prepare, work out, hatch, concoct, design, plan, scheme, plot, organize, frame, think up, dream up, cook up, brew, conceive, make ready, get ready, put together, draw up, produce, develop, compose, formulate, bet, wager, gamble, stake, hazard, risk, chance, venture, assign, attribute, ascribe, allocate, allot, impute, attach, impose, fix, ballad, laic, secular

Lay as a Noun

Definitions of "Lay" as a noun

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “lay” as a noun can have the following definitions:

• The general appearance of an area of land.
• A person with a particular ability or availability as a sexual partner.
• The direction or amount of twist in rope strands.
• A narrative poem of popular origin.
• An act or instance of having sex.
• The position or direction in which something lies.
• The laying of eggs or the period during which they are laid.
• A narrative song with a recurrent refrain.

Synonyms of "Lay" as a noun (1 Word)

ballad

A poem or song narrating a story in short stanzas Traditional ballads are typically of unknown authorship having been passed on orally from one generation to the next.

Usage Examples of "Lay" as a noun

• The lay of the surrounding countryside.
• Roll the carpet against the lay of the nap.
• The onset of lay may be marked by a dropping of the duck's abdomen.

Lay as a Verb

Definitions of "Lay" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “lay” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Impose as a duty, burden, or punishment.
• Put into a certain place or abstract location.
• Put in a horizontal position.
• Set cutlery, crockery, etc. on (a table) in preparation for a meal.
• Put down and set in position for use.
• Prevent (something) from rising off the ground.
• Used with an abstract noun so that the phrase formed has the same meaning as the verb related to the noun used, e.g. ‘lay the blame on’ means ‘to blame.
• Have sex with.
• Follow (a specified course.
• Trim (a hedge) back, cutting the branches half through, bending them down, and interweaving them.
• Stake (an amount of money) in a bet.
• Prepare (a trap) for someone.
• Lay eggs.
• Work out (an idea or suggestion) in detail ready for use or presentation.
• Prepare or position for action or operation.
• Locate (an episode in a play, novel, etc.) in a particular place.
• Cover (a surface) with objects or a substance.
• (of a female bird, insect, reptile, or amphibian) produce (an egg) from inside the body.
• Put the material for (a fire) in place and arrange it.
• Put (something) down gently or carefully.

Synonyms of "Lay" as a verb (67 Words)

allocate	Distribute according to a plan or set apart for a special purpose. In past years we didn t allocate enough funds to infrastructure maintenance.
allot	Allow to have. I was allotted a little room in the servants block.
arrange	Arrange attractively. The quarrel partly by the interference of the Crown Prince was arranged.
ascribe	Attribute or credit to. Tough mindedness is a quality commonly ascribed to top bosses.
assign	Give an assignment to a person to a post or assign a task to a person. The biologist assigned the mushroom to the proper class.
attach	Be attached be in contact with. Attach your safety line to the bridge.
attribute	Attribute or credit to. The building was attributed to Inigo Jones.
balance	Bring into balance or equilibrium. A surplus on the capital account to make the account balance.
bet	Maintain with or as if with a bet. He bet on baseball games.
brew	Prepare by brewing. People have been brewing beer for thousands of years.
chance	Be the case by chance. He chanced upon an interesting advertisement.
compose	(of elements) constitute or make up (a whole, or a specified part of it. Greed and ambition composed his personality.
conceive	Create (an embryo) by fertilizing an egg. I had conceived a passion for another.
concoct	Make a concoction of by mixing. His cronies concocted a simple plan.
contrive	Come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort. His opponents contrived a cabinet crisis.
cook up	Transform and make suitable for consumption by heating.
deploy	Bring into effective action. Forces were deployed at strategic locations.
deposit	Put or set down (something or someone) in a specific place. Beds where salt is deposited by the tide.
design	Create the design for create or execute in an artistic or highly skilled manner. Design a new sales strategy.
develop	Cause to grow and differentiate in ways conforming to its natural development. Develop the rook.
devise	Leave (something, especially real estate) to someone by the terms of a will. A training programme should be devised.
draw up	Bring, take, or pull out of a container or from under a cover.
dream up	Experience while sleeping.
drop	Let or cause to fall in drops. East drops the 10 on the second round.
fix	Make fixed stable or stationary. Her words have remained fixed in my memory.
fling down	Indulge oneself.
formulate	Put into words or an expression. He formulated his concerns to the board of trustees.
frame	Place a picture or photograph in a frame. He had had the photo framed.
gamble	Bet (a sum of money. They gambled their money on cards.
get ready	Take the first step or steps in carrying out an action.
hatch	Sit on (eggs. Young birds fish and reptiles hatch.
hazard	Put (something) at risk of being lost. The cargo business is too risky to hazard money on.
impose	Impose and collect. The decision was theirs and was not imposed on them by others.
impute	Ascribe (righteousness, guilt, etc.) to someone by virtue of a similar quality in another. People impute great cleverness to cats.
leave	Leave behind unintentionally. Leave the room.
let fall	Grant use or occupation of under a term of contract.
locate	Situate in a particular place. Our sense of sight enables us to locate objects in space.
make	Make or cause to be or to become. How many are there I make it sixteen.
make ready	Give certain properties to something.
organize	Cause to be structured or ordered or operating according to some principle or idea. We all believed in the need to organize women.
place	Take a place in a competition often followed by an ordinal. She eventually said she couldn t place him.
plan	Make a design of plan out in systematic often graphic form. He plans to be in graduate school next year.
plot	Make (a curve) by marking out a number of points on a graph. The two men are serving sentences for plotting a bomb campaign.
pose	Assume a posture as for artistic purposes. The prime minister posed for photographers.
position	Put or arrange (someone or something) in a particular place or way. She positioned herself on a bench.
prepare	To prepare verbally either for written or spoken delivery. I wasn t prepared to go along with that.
produce	Make or manufacture from components or raw materials. The tree would not produce fruit.
put	Put into a certain place or abstract location. I wouldn t put it that way.
put down	Make an investment.
put together	Formulate in a particular style or language.
repose	Put or confide something in a person or thing. I ll go to him and repose our distresses on his friendly bosom.
rest	Not move be in a resting position. The final say rests with the regional assemblies.
risk	Take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome. He risked his life to save his dog.
scheme	Arrange according to a colour scheme. I scheme it could work.
set	Set in type. Set clocks or instruments.
set down	Equip with sails or masts.
settle	End a legal dispute by arriving at a settlement. He settled the farm 200 years ago.
sit	Be or remain in a particular position or state. Pupils are required to sit nine subjects at GCSE.
situate	Fix or build (something) in a certain place or position. Amy is now comfortably situated.
stake	Tie or fasten to a stake. Stake out the path.
station	Assign to a station. A young girl had stationed herself by the door.
stow	Pack or store (an object) carefully and neatly in a particular place. Stow the cart.
think up	Decide by pondering, reasoning, or reflecting.
throw down	Place or put with great energy.
venture	Proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers. She ventured out into the blizzard.
wager	Risk (a sum of money or valued item) against someone else’s on the basis of the outcome of an unpredictable event; bet. A total of 770 700 was wagered by fans at other sites on the track.
work out	Proceed towards a goal or along a path or through an activity.

Usage Examples of "Lay" as a verb

• Lay the patient carefully onto the bed.
• The floor was laid with mattresses.
• She suspected he was pulling her leg, but she wouldn't have laid money on it.
• Lay the foundation for a new health care plan.
• The hens were laying at the same rate as usual.
• Most hedges are no longer laid.
• No one who knew the area could be in doubt where the scene was laid.
• He was making newspaper knots before laying a fire in the fireplace.
• Flamingos lay only one egg.
• Lay the books on the table.
• This hen doesn't lay.
• There may have been the odd light shower just to lay the dust.
• She laid the table for dinner.
• She wouldn't put it past him to lay a trap for her.
• I'd like more time to lay my plans.
• He laid a comforting hand over hers.
• It is advisable to have your carpet laid by a professional.
• Lay a responsibility on someone.
• She laid great stress on little courtesies.
• Lay a fire.
• She laid the baby in his cot.
• I'm going to lay a course for Ibiza harbour.

Lay as an Adjective

Definitions of "Lay" as an adjective

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “lay” as an adjective can have the following definitions:

• Not of or from a profession.
• Characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy.

Synonyms of "Lay" as an adjective (2 Words)

laic	Of the laity; secular. Set his collar in laic rather than clerical position.
secular	Characteristic of those who are not members of the clergy. Secular architecture.

Usage Examples of "Lay" as an adjective

• The lay ministry.
• A lay opinion as to the cause of the disease.

Associations of "Lay" (30 Words)

armchair	Lacking or not involving practical or direct experience of a particular subject or activity. An armchair traveller.
bedroom	A room used primarily for sleeping. A two bedroom flat.
brocade	Thick heavy expensive material with a raised pattern. The quilt was of white silk brocade.
calmness	The state or condition of being free from disturbance or violent activity. Those who worked with him refer time and again to his calmness under pressure.
couch	Express (something) in language of a specified style. The child was lying on the examination couch.
cushion	A mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses. The bag cushions equipment from inevitable knocks.
furnished	(of accommodation) available to be rented with furniture. A full sized fully furnished apartment.
lounge	A seating area in an airport for waiting passengers. The departure lounge.
outspread	Fully extended in width. Outspread wings.
perch	Cause to perch or sit. Peter perched a pair of gold rimmed spectacles on his nose.
pillow	Serve as a pillow for. Her transparent cheek all pale and warm pillow d his deathlike forehead.
posture	Assume a posture as for artistic purposes. Trade unions adopted a more militant posture in wage negotiations.
preside	Act as president. The prime minister will preside at an emergency cabinet meeting.
propagation	The action of widely spreading and promoting an idea, theory, etc. The propagation of plants by root cuttings.
put	Put into a certain place or abstract location. She set a women s record by putting the shot 56 7.
recline	Cause to recline. All the seats recline.
recliner	An armchair whose back can be lowered and foot can be raised to allow the sitter to recline in it.
recumbent	Lying down; in a position of comfort or rest. Recumbent statues.
repose	A disposition free from stress or emotion. He had lost none of his grace or his repose.
rest	Put something in a resting position as for support or steadying. The gun was steadied on a special rest.
set	Set down according to a plan. Set your watch immediately to local time at your destination.
slouch	A stooping carriage in standing and walking. My brother was no slouch at making a buck.
sofa	A long upholstered seat with a back and arms, for two or more people. Sofa cushions.
statics	The branch of mechanics concerned with bodies at rest and forces in equilibrium.
stationary	Not capable of being moved. Stationary machinery.
stool	Grow shoots in the form of stools or tillers. Concentrations of the substance in normal stool.
supine	Lying face upward. The government was supine in the face of racial injustice.
tranquility	A disposition free from stress or emotion.
unmoving	Not moving; still. This must be the most unmoving performance of Verdi s opera ever recorded.
upright	In or into an upright position. An upright vacuum cleaner.