ˈoʊpən ˈsiːkrɪt
General
neutral
intermediate
- Literally:
- A secret that is open or known
What does "open secret" mean?
- Something supposedly secret but actually known by many
- Information that is officially confidential but widely known
Examples
- Their relationship was an open secret at the office.
- It's an open secret that he's planning to resign.
- The company's financial troubles were an open secret.
Origin
An oxymoron highlighting the contradiction of a 'secret' that everyone knows. Used since the 19th century.
How to use it
Describes the irony of information everyone knows but no one acknowledges openly.
Similar expressions
known secret
poorly kept secret
common knowledge
Opposites
well-kept secret
confidential
truly secret
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "open secret" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.