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Glite Dictionary
lily-white image

lily-white image

8.0
A reputation that people see as very pure and honest
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪli waɪt ˈɪmɪdʒ/
translation icon : imagen inmaculada
  • She feared that any scandal would destroy her carefully crafted lily-white image.

Examples

  • The company worked hard to maintain its lily-white image despite rumors of internal misconduct.

  • The politician's lily-white image was challenged after the controversial report emerged.

  • The politician maintained a lily-white image throughout his career.

  • Her lily-white image made her a favorite among voters.

  • She feared that any scandal would destroy her carefully crafted lily-white image.

  • The company worked hard to maintain its lily-white image despite rumors of internal misconduct.

  • The politician's lily-white image was challenged after the controversial report emerged.

Antonyms

dishonest
128 2.5

Likely to lie or cheat to get something for yourself

tainted
4.5

Spoiled and unsafe because it has rot or something harmful

Surface Forms

lily-white image singular
lily-white images plural

Morphology

lily-white + image

The adjective 'lily-white' conveys spotless or pure and 'image' means a public impression, so the combined sense 'a reputation considered entirely pure' follows directly from the constituent meanings. This compositional mapping (white → purity; image → reputation) is a common, cross-linguistic metaphor and is likely predictable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Lily-white image comes from the white lily flower, a common sign of purity. Because lily-white means very pure and image means 'reputation', the phrase now means a 'reputation' seen as completely 'honest'.