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- Dictionarywhite elephant/ˌwʌɪt ˈɛlɪf(ə)nt/
noun
- 1. a possession that is useless or troublesome, especially one that is expensive to maintain or difficult to dispose of: "a huge white elephant of a house that needed ten thousand spent on it"
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A white elephant is something that is expensive, or that costs a lot of money to keep in good condition, but that has no useful purpose and is no longer wanted. Learn more about this expression, its origin, and how to use it in different contexts.
- English (US)
WHITE ELEPHANT meaning: 1. something that is expensive, or...
- Znaczenie White Elephant, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary
white elephant definicja: 1. something that is expensive, or...
- English (US)
A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of without extreme difficulty, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, construction project, scheme, business venture, facility, etc. considered expensive but without ...
A white elephant is a burdensome possession or a doomed enterprise that costs a lot of money. The phrase comes from the ancient practice of giving white elephants as a punishment in Thailand and other Asian countries.
Learn the origin and usage of the phrase white elephant, which can refer to a sacred but costly Asian elephant, a useless or unwanted object, or a gift exchange game. See examples, synonyms, and related words for white elephant.
a rare or valuable possession the upkeep of which is very expensive. white elephant. An unwanted or financially burdensome possession, or a project that turns out to be of limited value: “The new office building turned out to be a white elephant once the company decided to move its headquarters.”.
Nov 2, 2023 · The idiom "a white elephant" is a phrase that describes something that, although valuable or unique, is also a burden or costly to keep. People use it to describe items or situations with more trouble than they're worth.
Learn the meaning of white elephant as a noun, with synonyms, pronunciation, and usage examples. Find out the origin of the phrase and how it relates to albino elephants, unwanted possessions, and useless ventures.
