elephant in the room
[ el-uh-fuhnt inthuh-room, room ]
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.
Origin of elephant in the room
1First recorded in 1935–40
Words Nearby elephant in the room
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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