white elephant

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

an expensive, burdensome asset that is hard to maintain and brings no benefit

Why this phrase?

Southeast Asian kings gifted white elephants — sacred and costly to keep, impossible to refuse.

Example

“The custom CMS became a white elephant after the rebuild.”

Dictionary details

Component words

white elephant

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

white knight Neutral · CEFR C1

a friendly company or investor that rescues a target from a hostile takeover

the elephant in the room Neutral · CEFR B2

an obvious and important problem that everyone notices but avoids discussing

do the job Informal · CEFR B1

to be good enough to achieve the desired result

sell like hot cakes Neutral · CEFR B1

to be bought rapidly and in great numbers because many people want it

sign on the dotted line Neutral · CEFR B1

to commit yourself formally by signing an agreement

break even Neutral · CEFR B2

to reach the point where revenue equals costs — no profit, no loss

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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