white elephant

IPA/ˌwaɪt ˈelɪfənt/
IPA/ˌwaɪt ˈelɪfənt/

white elephant — 名詞

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

1.名詞B2
釋義

白象

亞洲產的淺色大象，被某些文化視為神聖

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

例句

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

清邁的寺廟養著一頭白象，節日期間遊客可以參觀。

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

在康堤的年度遊行中，一頭白象被引領走過街道。

countable noun for a specific animal

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

2.名詞B2
釋義

昂貴累贅

花費高卻無用的物品或廢物

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

例句

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

那座新體育場在市政府不再舉辦大型賽事後，成了昂貴的累贅。

collocation: become a white elephant

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

當地居民稱那座半空的購物中心是浪費稅金的昂貴累贅。

同義詞
  • 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

反義詞
  • 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

❌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.名詞C1
釋義

棄之可惜

對主人沒用但對他人可能還有價值的物品

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

例句

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

Olga 收藏的老黑膠唱片對孩子們來說毫無價值，但對收藏家來說卻是寶物。

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.

那台古董印刷機對報社老闆是棄之可惜的累贅，但博物館很樂意接收。

同義詞
  • 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.'