A harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
I told a little white lie about her new haircut.
He told a white lie to spare her feelings after the disappointing performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The phonetic transcription of "white lie" is /ˌwaɪt ˈlaɪ/ in British English and /ˌwaɪt ˈlaɪ/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.
Example usage of "white lie": "I told a little white lie about her new haircut.". More examples on the page.