black lie

noun

A deliberately untrue statement made with malicious or unethical intent.

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Meanings

nounblack lie (plural black lies)

plural black lies

  1. idiomaticA deliberately untrue statement made with malicious or unethical intent.

Origin

Coined in contradistinction to white lie.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

black lie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20lie

MLA

“black lie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20lie. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “black lie,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/black%20lie.

Source: black lie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.