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If you say there is an elephant in the room, you mean that there is an obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Difficult situations and unpleasant experiences. a hard/tough row to hoe idiom. abyss. adversity. at your worst idiom. Augean. bad hair day. epidemic.
We all use the phrase “elephant in the room” to describe a situation or an issue that’s pretty obvious or noticeable, but it’s not being addressed or discussed the way it should be. Like when you know two friends in your friend’s group are fighting but are super quiet when among everyone.
Meaning. a difficult, controversial, or obvious problem that no one wants to talk about or mention because the subject is problematic, uncomfortable, or awkward. an important topic or issue that everyone is acutely aware of, but isn’t discussing due to embarrassment or sensitivity. intentionally ignore something obvious. Example Sentences.
The idiom ‘elephant in the room’ is a vivid expression used to highlight an obvious and significant issue or problem that everyone is deliberately ignoring or avoiding.
A literal elephant in a room, attending a Sydney tea party in 1939. The metaphorical elephant in the room represents an obvious problem or difficult situation that people do not want to talk about. [1]The expression "the elephant in the room" (or "the elephant in the living room") [2] [3] is a metaphorical idiom in English for an important or enormous topic, question, or controversial issue that is obvious or that everyone knows about but no one mentions or wants to discuss because it makes ...
When people use the phrase “elephant in the room,” they are referring to a situation or issue that is present but not acknowledged. This idiom is often used when there is an obvious problem or topic that everyone knows about, but no one wants to talk about it.
Meaning: If there is an elephant in the room, it means that an obvious problem is being ignored. Put another way, it is a noticeable issue that is not acknowledged or addressed. Example: Jim arrived at work and his clothes were soaking wet!
Jul 9, 2024 · : an obvious major problem or issue that people avoid discussing or acknowledging. Examples of elephant in the room in a Sentence. Recent Examples on the Web That is the elephant in the room that can't be ignored or unaddressed.
The meaning, if not the exact wording, dates from at least the 1950s and is possibly some years older than that. The first reference to the phrase that I have found is in The Charleston Gazette, July 1952: “Chicago, that’s an old Indian word meaning get that elephant out of your room.”.
Like a giant animal in a space far too small for it, the elephant in the room is a problem that everyone knows exists, but nobody wants to do anything about. This phrase sometimes appears as elephant in the living room.
