little white lie

Definitions

Noun. [C1]

Examples

“What did you do then? Why, you made me say⟳ to myself, 'Ah, it would have⟳ been so much kinder and more blameless to ease him off with a little white lie⟳, and send⟳ him away feeling that if he could not have⟳ bread, the gentle treatment was at least something to be grateful for!'”

“Stop⟳ sending letters / Letters always get⟳ burned / It's not like⟳ the movies / They fed us on little white lies”

““It’s quite common for people to tell⟳ a little white lie⟳ when they’re declining invitations,” says Elaine Swann, etiquette expert and author of Elaine Swann’s Book of Modern Etiquette. Swann says people do this to avoid⟳ offense and “soften the blow⟳”.”

CEFR level