waɪt ˈelɪfənt
Animals
neutral
intermediate
- Literally:
- A rare white elephant
What does "white elephant" mean?
- Something expensive but useless
- A possession that's a burden to maintain
Examples
- That stadium turned into a white elephant after the Olympics.
- The mansion became a white elephant they couldn't afford.
- Be careful not to buy a white elephant.
Origin
From Siam (Thailand) where white elephants were sacred but expensive to maintain. Kings gave them to disliked courtiers to ruin them.
How to use it
Often used for large infrastructure projects that become costly burdens.
Similar expressions
costly burden
useless possession
money pit
Opposites
valuable asset
good investment
bargain
Related idioms
- kill two birds with one stone
To accomplish two goals with a single action
- let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret accidentally
- elephant in the room
An obvious problem or issue that everyone is aware of but no one wants to discuss
- don't count your chickens before they hatch
Don't assume success before it actually happens
- hold your horses
To wait and be patient
- fish out of water
Someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable in a particular situation
Use it in a practice answer
Try "white elephant" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.