Idioms enrich our language by adding color to the mundane. When it comes to idioms involving colors, “white” features prominently, symbolizing purity, peace, and sometimes, simplicity. In this blog post, we explore 20 white idioms that are commonly used in English, providing you with a brief meaning and an example for each to help you understand and use them effectively in everyday conversation.

White Idioms In English

1. White lie

Meaning: Harmless or trivial lie.

Example: “I told a white lie about her dress.”

2. White as a sheet

Meaning: Very pale.

Example: “He was white as a sheet after the scare.”

3. White elephant

Meaning: Costly, unprofitable investment.

Example: “That old car is a white elephant.”

4. White-knuckle

Meaning: Extremely tense.

Example: “It was a white-knuckle ride.”

5. White flag

Meaning: Surrender.

Example: “He raised the white flag in defeat.”

6. White-collar

Meaning: Pertaining to office or professional work.

Example: “He has a white-collar job.”

7. Whitewash

Meaning: Cover up faults or errors.

Example: “The report was a whitewash.”

8. White noise

Meaning: Background noise used to mask other sounds.

Example: “I sleep with white noise.”

9. White-hot

Meaning: Intensely hot or passionate.

Example: “The debate became white-hot.”

10. White feather

Meaning: Symbol of cowardice.

Example: “He was given the white feather.”

11. Show the white feather

Meaning: Act cowardly.

Example: “He showed the white feather during the argument.”

12. Whiteout

Meaning: Severe blizzard or loss of visibility.

Example: “We were stuck in a whiteout.”

13. White as snow

Meaning: Pure or innocent.

Example: “Her reputation is white as snow.”

14. White heat of technology

Meaning: The forefront of technological development.

Example: “They’re at the white heat of innovation.”

15. White bread

Meaning: Something very ordinary or basic.

Example: “His tastes are pretty white bread.”

16. White Russian

Meaning: A cocktail made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream.

Example: “He ordered a White Russian at the bar.”

17. White knight

Meaning: Rescuer or savior.

Example: “The company was saved by a white knight investor.”

18. Bleed someone white

Meaning: Drain financially.

Example: “The repairs bled me white.”

19. White Christmas

Meaning: Christmas with snow on the ground.

Example: “We’re dreaming of a white Christmas.”

20. As white as driven snow

Meaning: Extremely pure or innocent.

Example: “Her motives are as white as driven snow.”