white

adjective

ˈ(h)wīt How to pronounce white (audio)
Definition of whitenext
1
as in faded
lacking an addition of color dazzlingly white paint on the walls of the new house

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harmless
not causing or being capable of causing injury or hurt told a little white lie to spare her feelings

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pure
free from sin the tendency to see everything and everyone as morally black or white

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of white She was last seen wearing black leggings, a light gray pullover and white sneakers. — Meghan O'Brien, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026 The mother-of-two wore a pair of white bottoms with a matching skirt and silk angel wings across her shoulders. — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 The reading skills of English learners have risen in the past two decades, and, unlike in 1971, the top quarter of Black and Hispanic students today out-read the average white child. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026 The kitchen is snug but has been fixed up with a dishwasher and dark marble countertops, whereas the windowed bathroom got a simple white-tile update. — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for white
Recent Examples of Synonyms for white
  1. faded
  2. harmless
  3. pure
  4. transparent
  5. innocent
  6. colorless
  7. benign
  8. unpainted
Adjective
  • At the denouement, Kember is completely alone, his flat, narcotized baritone dripping onto the faded guitar notes like melted mercury.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
  • The Fly Faster Tee uses heavyweight cotton jersey with a faded finish, while the Patch Tee receives a heavy enzyme wash.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of faded
Adjective
  • Attackers use it to control who reaches their malicious content while showing something harmless to other visitors.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Shortly before midnight, the squad determined the bags were harmless and contained no explosives, Anderson said.
    — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of harmless
Adjective
  • Cringe may be excruciating, but post-cringe would be pure horror.
    — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026
  • This gift box contains eight bars, spanning from 58 to 80% cacao, in flavors like banana foster and green tea crunch for the adventurous and pink sea salt or pure cacao, dates, and vanilla for the purists.
    — Kate Kassin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • Many of Nothing’s smartphones and headphones feature transparent casings that leave some of the internal components exposed.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Pan Yan The substance is integrated into a transparent, medium-sized insert designed to fit onto a garbage bin lid.
    — Maryna Holovnova, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of transparent
Adjective
  • An innocent person could potentially have faced unnecessary scrutiny.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Everyone charged is presumed innocent while their cases move through the courts.
    — Raven Lightsey, Sun Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Mid-October in New York City is often filled with gloomy gray days, and the Financial District—the Big Apple’s steely home for big business, bougie briefcases, and skyscrapers—tends to be a pretty colorless place.
    — Eden Stuart, Allure, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Over 10 days, the solution faded almost to colorless, losing nearly 90 percent of the dye.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of colorless
Adjective
  • The researchers reported that PROTEA could distinguish harmful and benign plans with reasonable accuracy, although the university’s announcement did not provide numerical detection rates.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Especially when your polling is no doubt telling you that progressives and anti-capitalists will struggle to trust any billionaire, however seemingly benign.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of benign
Adjective
  • According to one court filing, walls were streaked with mold and had been left unpainted despite promises for a refresh, and the light fixtures above the table were layered with dust.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Farrow & Ball colors replaced white carpet and pale blue walls, while original unpainted wood was preserved.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of unpainted

Phrases Containing white

Browse Nearby Words

whit
white
whitebeard
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Cite this Entry

“White.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/white. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about white

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