the elephant in the room

Nghĩa

an obvious problem that everyone avoids discussing

Vấn đề hiển nhiên mà ai cũng tránh nhắc đến.

Ví dụ

1. 1Nobody mentioned the missing savings, but they were the elephant in the room.
2. 2At dinner, our unfinished argument was still the elephant in the room.
3. 3The budget shortfall remained the elephant in the room; every speaker carefully avoided mentioning it.
4. 4Everyone knew the roof leaked, yet at the residents’ meeting it was the elephant in the room.
5. 5Their cancelled wedding was the elephant in the room as the family chatted awkwardly about the weather.

Ngữ pháp

Giữ the elephant in the room như một cụm danh từ. Cách nói An elephant in the room cũng được dùng khi nêu ra một vấn đề.

Thành ngữ gần nghĩa