white elephant
white elephant — noun
1. an elephant with very pale or white skin, found in parts of South and Southeast
an elephant with very pale or white skin, found in parts of South and Southeast Asia, that is considered sacred in some local traditions
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
In Myanmar, owning a white elephant was once a sign that the king ruled with justice.
The zoo in Ayutthaya received a white elephant as a gift from a neighbouring province.
文法句型
a white elephant
用法筆記
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
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
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.
After the Olympics, the athletes' village became a white elephant that nobody wanted to buy.
The government spent billions on a high-speed rail line that is now a white elephant with hardly any passengers.
Wei put his old saxophone in the white elephant sale at the community centre.
The estate agent warned them that the mansion was a white elephant no bank would lend against.
Diego cleared out the garage and threw away a dozen white elephants collecting dust.
- asset
something valuable that provides ongoing benefit
文法句型
a white elephant
be a white elephant
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
3. an object that has lost its value or appeal for its current owner but might stil
an object that has lost its value or appeal for its current owner but might still be useful or desirable to another person
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.
Mei-Lin inherited her grandfather's antique clock — a white elephant she had no use for.
The old sewing machine was a white elephant to Fatima, who had never learned to sew.
- cast-off
informal; more neutral — doesn't imply potential value to others
文法句型
a white elephant to someone
one person's white elephant
用法筆記
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.'