800-pound gorilla

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

An entity that dominates its environment.
Something dangerous, menacing, or frightening that is obvious but not addressed.

en-au-800-pound gorilla.ogg

800-pound gorilla 800-pound gorillas

Attested since at least 1971, from a riddle: "Where does an 800-pound gorilla sleep?" / "Anywhere it wants."

800-pound gorilla in the room gorilla in the room elephant in the room emperor's new clothes

acknowledge the corn paromologia paromology

800-pound gorilla in the room

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