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The expression "the elephant in the room" (or "the elephant in the living room") 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 at least some of them uncomfortable and is personally ...
AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM definition: 1. If you say there is an elephant in the room, you mean that there is an obvious problem or…. Learn more.
Jul 5, 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 However, the elephant in the room is that the Starliner is unable to leave the ISS except in an emergency.
The first known citation that uses the phrase with the clear intention of conveying our current understanding of the phrase is the title of Typpo and Hastings’ book An elephant in the living room: a leader’s guide for helping children of alcoholics, 1984.
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.
The expression “elephant in the room”, sometimes also “elephant in the living room”, means “a big issue everyone is aware of, but which is being ignored, because everybody finds discussion about it uncomfortable”.
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!
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.
elephant in the room. An obvious truth or fact, especially one regarded as embarrassing or undesirable, that is being intentionally ignored or left unaddressed. We all sat sipping our tea quietly, no one wanting to bring up the elephant in the room about Joel's expulsion from college.
Elephant in the room definition: a problem or issue that everyone is aware of but that no one wants to talk about. See examples of ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM used in a sentence.
