a great lie

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a great lie" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a significant falsehood or deception, often in a context where the impact of the lie is substantial. Example: "The story he told was not just misleading; it was a great lie that affected many lives."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

This was a great lie, of course.

The New York Times

It is all a great lie.

The Guardian

I think that's a great lie, a horrible lie.

The Guardian - Film

He drove to 20 feet and had a great lie on the challenging two-tiered green.

The New York Times - Sports

It was like they were living a great lie, and I had to find them out".

The New York Times

He did this by heeding Adolf Hitler's assertion - increasingly the love-child of governments - that the great masses of the people will more easily fall victim to a great lie than to a small one.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

By the time I was 17, I'd decided I wanted to be a great lay.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Its members -- many of them older devout Catholics who serve as eucharistic ministers or Sunday school teachers -- have tried to call for a greater lay voice in the church without alienating the church's hierarchy.

The New York Times

If his body contradicts what he's saying, he could be telling you anything from a little fib to a whopping great lie.

WikiHow

It was all a great big lie, just as we always suspected.

The Guardian

One business leader has called it a "great white lie".

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a great lie" when you want to emphasize the magnitude and impact of a falsehood. It suggests that the lie is not just a small fib, but something with significant consequences.

Common error

Avoid using "a great lie" to exaggerate a minor exaggeration. Reserve it for situations where the deception has serious ramifications or is part of a larger pattern of deceit.

Linguistic Context

A great lie functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the object or subject complement in a sentence. It denotes a falsehood of considerable significance. As demonstrated by Ludwig, the phrase is used to describe deceptions with impactful consequences.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Wiki

10%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a great lie" is a noun phrase used to describe a significant and impactful falsehood. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase's grammatical correctness and its usage in diverse contexts, primarily in News & Media. While the phrase isn't incredibly common, it is useful for emphasizing the magnitude and serious consequences of a particular deception. Alternatives include phrases like "a substantial falsehood" or "a significant untruth". When using "a great lie", it is important to reserve it for situations where the untruth has serious ramifications rather than exaggerating minor misstatements.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a substantial falsehood

Replaces 'great' with 'substantial', indicating a lie of considerable magnitude.

a significant untruth

Substitutes 'lie' with the more formal 'untruth' and 'great' with 'significant', maintaining the gravity of the statement.

a major fabrication

Uses 'fabrication' instead of 'lie', suggesting the lie was actively constructed or invented.

a blatant deception

Emphasizes the obviousness and brazen nature of the lie.

a colossal misrepresentation

Highlights the distortion of facts, using 'colossal' to amplify the scale of the misrepresentation.

a monumental falsehood

Employs 'monumental' to convey the lie's significant impact and scale.

a wholesale prevarication

Replaces 'lie' with the more sophisticated 'prevarication', implying evasion and deceit on a large scale.

a complete fiction

Indicates that the statement is entirely made up and divorced from reality.

an egregious mendacity

Utilizes 'egregious mendacity' to underscore the shocking and morally reprehensible nature of the lie.

a total invention

Suggests the lie is something newly created and entirely baseless.

FAQs

What is the difference between "a great lie" and a simple lie?

"A great lie" implies a falsehood of significant magnitude or consequence, whereas a simple lie might be a smaller, less impactful untruth. The term 'great' emphasizes the scale or importance of the deception.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "a great lie"?

It's appropriate when describing a falsehood that has caused substantial harm, misled many people, or is central to a larger deception. It should not be used for trivial or insignificant untruths.

What are some alternatives to saying "a great lie"?

You can use alternatives like "a substantial falsehood", "a significant untruth", or "a major fabrication" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Can "a great lie" be considered an opinion?

No, "a great lie" refers to a statement that is presented as fact but is known to be untrue. While opinions can be subjective, a lie is a deliberate misrepresentation of the truth.