A little white lie Meaning in English
expression
uh LIT-uhl WYTE LYE
uh LIT-uhl WYTE LYE
Definition
A small or harmless lie told to avoid hurting someone's feelings or to be polite.
Usage & Nuances
This expression is informal and used to describe a harmless, sometimes necessary, untruth often told out of kindness. Common collocations: 'tell a little white lie', 'just a little white lie.' It is usually not used for serious lies.
Spanish: una pequeña mentira piadosaPortuguese (BR): uma pequena mentirinha brancaPortuguese (PT): uma pequena mentirinha brancaChinese (Simplified): 善意的谎言Chinese (Traditional): 善意的謊言Hindi: एक छोटी सी सफेद झूठArabic: كذبة بيضاء صغيرةBengali: ছোট একটা সাদা মিথ্যেRussian: маленькая невинная ложьJapanese: 小さな白い嘘Vietnamese: lời nói dối trắng nhỏ - lời nói dối vô hạiKorean: 작은 선의의 거짓말Turkish: küçük beyaz yalanUrdu: چھوٹا سا سفید جھوٹIndonesian: kebohongan putih kecil
Example Sentences
She told a little white lie so her friend wouldn't feel bad.
basic
Sometimes a little white lie can keep the peace.
basic
He thought it was okay to tell a little white lie at work.
basic
I just told a little white lie about why I was late.
natural
You don’t have to feel guilty about a little white lie now and then.
natural
Everyone tells a little white lie sometimes to avoid awkward situations.
natural