White Lie

Pronunciation: /waɪt laɪ/

Definitions of white lie

noun a harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone's feelings

Example Sentences

A1 I told a white lie to my friend to spare their feelings.

A2 She didn't want to hurt his feelings, so she told a white lie instead.

B1 Sometimes telling a white lie is necessary to avoid causing unnecessary harm.

B2 He felt guilty about telling a white lie, even though he did it to protect someone.

C1 The politician was caught in a web of white lies during the scandal.

C2 Her reputation was tarnished by the revelation of her white lies to the public.

Examples of white lie in a Sentence

formal It is never appropriate to tell a white lie, even in a professional setting.

informal I told a white lie to my friend about liking her new haircut.

slang I totally dropped a white lie to get out of going to that party.

figurative Sometimes a white lie can protect someone's feelings without causing harm.

Grammatical Forms of white lie

• past tense: told a white lie
• plural: white lies
• comparative: whiter lie
• superlative: whitest lie
• present tense: tell a white lie
• future tense: will tell a white lie
• perfect tense: have told a white lie
• continuous tense: is telling a white lie
• singular: white lie
• positive degree: white lie
• infinitive: to tell a white lie
• gerund: telling a white lie
• participle: white lying

Origin and Evolution of white lie

First Known Use: 1741 year

Language of Origin: English

Story behind the word: The term 'white lie' originated from the Middle English word 'white' meaning harmless or innocent, and 'lie' meaning a false statement.

Evolution of the word: Originally, a white lie was seen as a harmless or trivial lie told to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Over time, the term has evolved to encompass any small, untruthful statement told for the benefit of others or to avoid conflict.