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White lie

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An idiomatic phrase meaning a harmless or trivial lie told to avoid hurting feelings or causing unnecessary distress, distinguishing minor deceit from malicious or harmful falsehoods.

Detailed Definition
White lie means a small or supposedly harmless falsehood told to avoid hurting someone, maintain peace, or smooth social interaction. In poetry, the idiom is useful for exploring the ethics of tenderness and deception. A white lie may protect a child, comfort the dying, flatter a friend, or conceal deeper truth. The colour white suggests innocence, but poets may question whether any lie remains unstained. The phrase invites reflection on tact, mercy, self-protection, and the moral ambiguity of kindness.
Example
Example in poetry:
A moral poem might ask whether a white lie told to spare grief is mercy or cowardice; In a comic poem, the child tells a white lie about the missing jam; The phrase means a small, supposedly harmless lie; A poet can use it for ethical ambiguity.
Additional Notes
A white lie is a small or supposedly harmless untruth told to avoid hurt, embarrassment, or social difficulty. In poetry, it can explore kindness, tact, self-deception, politeness, and the moral grey area between compassion and dishonesty. Students should ask who benefits from the lie and what truth is being softened. It pairs well with smiles, letters, sickrooms, compliments, and situations where love and truth are not easily aligned.
Also Known As
harmless lie
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