white elephant

IPA/ˌwaɪt ˈelɪfənt/
IPA/ˌwaɪt ˈelɪfənt/

white elephant — noun

1. an elephant with very pale or white skin, found in parts of South and Southeast

1.nounB2
Definition

an elephant with very pale or white skin, found in parts of South and Southeast Asia, that is considered sacred in some local traditions

Example

The temple in Chiang Mai keeps a white elephant that visitors can see during festivals.

A white elephant was led through the streets of Kandy during the annual procession.

countable noun for a specific animal

Grammar Patterns

a white elephant

Usage Note

Only this sense refers to an actual animal. All other senses are figurative. The pale colour is caused by albinism, not a separate species.

2. a large or expensive item, building, project, or piece of property that costs a

2.nounB2
Definition

a large or expensive item, building, project, or piece of property that costs a lot to maintain but no longer serves a useful purpose — or more generally, any unwanted object that is hard to get rid of

Example

The new stadium became a white elephant after the city stopped hosting major games.

collocation: become a white elephant

Local residents called the half-empty shopping mall a white elephant that wasted tax money.

Common collocations
  • become a white elephant
  • turn into a white elephant
  • white elephant project
  • white elephant building
  • white elephant sale
  • white elephant property
  • white elephant stall
Synonyms
  • burden

    less specific — any heavy load or responsibility, not necessarily expensive

  • albatross

    stronger negative connotation; suggests something that brings persistent bad luck or hinders success

  • money pit

    informal; focuses on the continuous cost without the idea of uselessness

Antonyms
  • asset

    something valuable that provides ongoing benefit

Grammar Patterns

a white elephant

be a white elephant

Usage Note

This is the most common figurative use, covering several related situations: (1) an expensive building or project whose upkeep costs more than it is worth; (2) in British English, an unwanted household item offered for sale in a 'white elephant sale'; (3) an unprofitable piece of real estate whose maintenance costs exceed its income; and (4) more generally, any worthless object that nobody wants. The opposite in the core sense is 'asset'.

Common Mistakes

I bought an expensive phone that broke — it is a white elephant.
I bought an expensive phone that broke
it was a waste of money.' — A white elephant is something that requires ongoing upkeep, not just a one-time purchase that went wrong.

3. an object that has lost its value or appeal for its current owner but might stil

3.nounC1
Definition

an object that has lost its value or appeal for its current owner but might still be useful or desirable to another person

Example

Olga's collection of old vinyl records was a white elephant to her children but a treasure to collectors.

pattern: one person's white elephant is another's treasure

The antique printing press was a white elephant to the newspaper owner, but the museum was happy to take it.

Common collocations
  • one person's white elephant
  • white elephant to someone
Synonyms
  • cast-off

    informal; more neutral — doesn't imply potential value to others

Grammar Patterns

a white elephant to someone

one person's white elephant

Usage Note

This sense emphasizes the subjective nature of value — what is worthless to one person may be precious to another. Commonly expressed in the saying 'One person's white elephant is another person's treasure.'

Word family

  • white elephant sale
    noun phraseB2
  • white elephant gift exchange
    noun phraseB2
  • white elephant party
    noun phraseC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

'White elephant' (sense 2) describes something that was once expensive or ambitious but has become a costly burden with little practical use — typically a large building, project, or piece of infrastructure. A 'burden' is any heavy responsibility, financial or emotional, and does not imply the thing was ever valuable or costly. 'Lemon' is narrower: it refers specifically to a defective product, especially a car or appliance, that fails soon after purchase; unlike a white elephant, a lemon does not require ongoing maintenance costs by design. 'Money pit' highlights the continuous drain of money on repairs or upkeep, but unlike 'white elephant,' the thing may still be useful — an old house that keeps needing repairs is a money pit but not necessarily a white elephant. 'Albatross' carries a stronger emotional weight: something that not only burdens you but also hinders your progress or haunts you persistently. For example: the city council built a concert hall that nobody uses — it is a classic white elephant. A landlord who cannot sell a leaky apartment building calls it an albatross around his neck.

white elephant ↗burden ↗lemon ↗money pitalbatross

Common collocations

Nouns

  • white elephant project
  • white elephant sale
  • white elephant building
  • white elephant gift
  • white elephant stall
  • white elephant property

Phrases

  • one person's white elephant is another person's treasure
  • become a white elephant
  • turn into a white elephant
  • a white elephant of a [noun]

Etymology

SanskritPaliThaiEnglish

The phrase 'white elephant' traces back to Southeast Asia, where albino or pale-skinned elephants were considered sacred and could not be put to work. According to a story that became popular in English, the kings of Siam (now Thailand) would give a white elephant as a gift to a courtier they wished to ruin — the recipient could neither use the animal for labour nor get rid of it without offending the king, and the cost of feeding and housing the elephant would eventually bankrupt him. The tale entered English folklore in the 19th century, and by the early 1900s 'white elephant' was being used figuratively for any burdensome possession that costs more than it is worth.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1