white elephant
Plural
white elephants
1
a possession that is costly to maintain and difficult to dispose of, often more trouble than it is worth
The idiom "white elephant" comes from Southeast Asian traditions, where owning a sacred white elephant was a mark of prestige—but the animal couldn't be put to work and required expensive upkeep. Kings would sometimes gift one to a rival as a financial burden.
- The software upgrade was a white elephant—flashy but impractical.
- The luxury yacht turned out to be a white elephant, draining their finances.
- That abandoned stadium is a white elephant—millions spent, and no one uses it.
- His sprawling mansion became a white elephant after retirement.
- The government project was criticized as a white elephant with little public benefit.
2
a rare, pale-colored elephant, often considered sacred in certain cultures, especially in Southeast Asia
- The king regarded the white elephant as a symbol of prosperity.
- A white elephant was gifted to the temple as a sacred offering.
- Legends often feature white elephants as omens of great change.
- The discovery of a white elephant was celebrated with a national holiday.
- Ancient texts describe the white elephant as a bearer of wisdom.