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elephant in the room

American

[el-uh-fuhnt in thuh room, room] / ˈɛl ə fənt ɪn ðə ˈrum, ˈrʊm /

idiom

a problem or issue that everyone is aware of but that no one wants to talk about.

Her dad’s depression has been the elephant in the room at family gatherings.

Etymology

Origin of elephant in the room

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But no one could ignore the elephant in the room.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

By not actually addressing the elephant in the room, “Michael” makes its subject look like a bona fide creep.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

To ignore this story isn’t like ignoring the elephant in the room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

BlackRock also addressed the elephant in the room — weren’t they too cautious with their neutral stance?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 14, 2026

I want us to have history, something longer than the small window of time we’re actually sharing, with an even longer future, but the dying elephant in the room crushes me.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023