1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 Alpert, now Ram Dass, returned from India in white robes and bare feet, preaching and writing about consciousness. — Claire Hoffman, Rolling Stone, 21 Sep. 2026 Lawrence paired hers with a cardigan, jeans and Adidas sneakers, while Carpenter dressed it up with a white fur coat. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026 Chalamet sat next to her, wearing a classic black suit with a black bow tie, a white dress shirt, and black sunglasses. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 21 Sep. 2026 Neither can his siblings who passed for white have welcomed the exposure of their origins. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 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
  • The quasi-patriotic palette got contemporary edge from faded lines running through the red and dark navy stripes, which shifted between vertical and horizontal directions.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Choose between four wearable shades—a dark indigo, a medium-light blue, a super faded light wash, and black.
    — Jordan Julian, InStyle, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of faded
Adjective
  • Do not ignore a small charge simply because the amount looks harmless.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, even household staples that seem harmless can cause damage when misused.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of harmless
Adjective
  • The Rebels jumped out to a commanding 24-7 lead in the first half before the Tigers scored 17 unanswered points to knot things up and set the scene for a fourth quarter that could only be described as pure cinema.
    — Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Sep. 2026
  • To see the picture earlier this month was to witness pure, untempered joy.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • To ensure durability in saline conditions, the researchers used butyl rubber and cover glass, topped with a transparent epoxy resin outer protective layer to build a waterproof, pressure-resistant, and corrosion-resistant armor.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The researchers linked molecules from a viscous oil and a gas to produce a new variation of this polymer, resulting in a transparent, moldable goo with a consistency similar to Blu Tack.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of transparent
Adjective
  • The seemingly sweet and innocent woman from season one has become a brutally violent villain out for revenge.
    — David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • When the father takes the kids down to Gowanus, there’s an innocent joy in him.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of innocent
Adjective
  • Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, tasteless gas produced by burning wood, gasoline, propane or other fuel.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Sophie is a wet cardigan of a protagonist—drippy, colorless and so devoid of personality that most of her exchanges with her best friend concern an actual lost cardigan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of colorless
Adjective
  • And while Gen Z is bringing new expectations to the workplace, this benign habit could potentially impact their odds of landing a job.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • What a full-body scan can actually find A whole-body MRI or ultrasound can pick up benign and cancerous tumors, abnormalities in bone marrow or lymph nodes and irregularities in major blood vessels.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of benign
Adjective
  • Farrow & Ball colors replaced white carpet and pale blue walls, while original unpainted wood was preserved.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The standout middle finger showcases a unique design with an unpainted area in the center, creating a striking negative space effect that contrasts nicely with the polished cuticle and tips.
    — Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of unpainted

Phrases Containing white

Browse Nearby Words

whit
white
whitebeard
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“White.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/white. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on white

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about white

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of the words cracker fly and sale arranged in a triangle with the word fire in the middle
Triple Play Quiz Find the word that pairs with each of the three g...
See All