paper tiger

See synonyms for paper tiger on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person, group, nation, or thing that has the appearance of strength or power but is actually weak or ineffectual.

Origin of paper tiger

1
First recorded in 1945–50

Words Nearby paper tiger

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for paper tiger

paper tiger

noun
  1. a nation, institution, etc, that appears powerful but is in fact weak or insignificant

Origin of paper tiger

1
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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012