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White elephant

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An idiom referring to a possession that is costly to maintain but useless or burdensome, originating from tales of kings gifting rare white elephants that impoverished recipients.

Detailed Definition
White elephant means a possession, gift, project, or institution that is costly, burdensome, and more trouble than it is worth. In poetry, the idiom can describe inherited houses, public monuments, failed schemes, unwanted treasures, or social obligations. Its exotic animal image suggests grandeur turned impractical. A poet may use it satirically to expose vanity, waste, or the absurdity of status objects. The phrase is useful for exploring the difference between apparent value and actual burden.
Example
Example in poetry:
A satire might call the grand empty museum a white elephant that drains the town's purse; In a palace poem, the marble fountain becomes a white elephant no servant can maintain; The phrase means an expensive burden of little use; A poet can use it for waste and vanity.
Additional Notes
A white elephant is a costly possession, project, or gift that is burdensome and impractical. The phrase has historical associations with rare sacred elephants in South and Southeast Asia, later becoming a metaphor for expensive upkeep. In poetry, it can critique vanity projects, imperial display, inheritance, bureaucracy, or unwanted gifts. Students should ask whether grandeur has become burden. It pairs well with palaces, ledgers, dust, and useless splendour.
Also Known As
useless costly
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