Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

The elephant in the room

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "The elephant in the room" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourProblem Solving & Interaction collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Problem Solving & Interaction

The elephant in the room

The elephant in the room
An obvious, major problem or controversial issue that everyone knows about but deliberately avoids discussing because it is uncomfortable or embarrassing.
History & Origin

While variations of the concept appeared in the 19th century, including a fable by Ivan Krylov about a man who visits a museum and notices everything except an elephant, the exact phrase gained widespread popularity in 20th-century American English. It perfectly visualizes the absurdity of ignoring something so massive that it is impossible to genuinely miss. The idiom evolved to highlight the psychological phenomenon of collective denial in social and professional settings.

Examples
Workplace Email

Before we review the new marketing budget, we need to address the elephant in the room: our primary product line has seen a 20% drop in sales this quarter.

Casual Conversation

Everyone at dinner was acting like everything was fine, but my brother's sudden resignation was the elephant in the room that no one dared to bring up.

Academic Writing

Many structural economic models analyze market efficiency while ignoring the elephant in the room, which is the systemic impact of generational wealth inequality.

News/Media

During the press conference, the governor spoke at length about infrastructure improvements but completely ignored the elephant in the room—the ongoing budget deficit scandal.

Formal Speech

To move forward as a unified community, we must finally confront the elephant in the room and discuss the historical zoning laws that have divided our neighborhoods for decades.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. I was so hungry before lunch that I could easily eat the elephant in the room.

B. The company's declining revenue was the elephant in the room during the board meeting, as everyone was too afraid to talk about potential layoffs.

C. She cleaned her apartment all morning until it was completely spotless and the elephant in the room.

D. If you want to pass the exam, you need to study hard and remember the elephant in the room.