the elephant in the room

elephant in the room

An obvious truth or fact, especially one regarded as embarrassing or undesirable, that is being intentionally ignored or left unaddressed. We all sat sipping our tea quietly, no one wanting to bring up the elephant in the room about Joel's expulsion from college. The incident has remained something of an elephant in the room within our family. I know my impending divorce is the elephant in the room, so let's talk about it, huh? We can start with my stupidity in not signing a pre-nup!
See also: elephant, room
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

the ˌelephant in the ˈroom

a serious problem that everyone is aware of but which they ignore and choose not to mention: The growing budget deficit is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about.
See also: elephant, room
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
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