elephant in the room
idiom/ˈɛlɪfənt ɪn ðə ruːm/
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Elephant in the room refers to a big, obvious, uncomfortable problem that everyone is aware of but no one wants to talk about. Like an actual elephant standing in a room, it's impossible to ignore — yet people avoid mentioning it.
📖 Meanings
1an obvious problem everyone avoids discussing
"Nobody mentioned the layoffs — the elephant in the room." — Nobody mentioned the layoffs — the obvious problem everyone avoided.
2an uncomfortable truth too big to ignore but left unspoken
"Let's address the elephant in the room: we're over budget." — Let's address the obvious issue no one's mentioning: we're over budget.
🔄 Related phrases
💬 Common patterns
the elephant in the roomaddress the elephant in the roomignore the elephant in the room
❓ How do you describe a big problem everyone knows but no one mentions?