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paper tiger
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noun
a person, group, nation, or thing that has the appearance of strength or power but is actually weak or ineffectual.
QUIZ
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Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of paper tiger
First recorded in 1945–50
Words nearby paper tiger
paper profit, paper-pusher, paper-shelled, paper tape, paper-thin, paper tiger, paper trail, paper-train, paper wasp, paperweight, paper-white narcissus
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use paper tiger in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for paper tiger
paper tiger
noun
a nation, institution, etc, that appears powerful but is in fact weak or insignificant
Word Origin for paper tiger
C20: translation of a Chinese phrase first applied to the US
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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