the elephant in the room

Meaning

An obvious, important problem that everyone knows about but nobody wants to talk about.

Examples

1. Nobody mentioned the budget, but it was the elephant in the room. US UK
2. We can’t keep ignoring the elephant in the room: the team is unhappy. US UK
3. Everyone at the family dinner pretended not to see the elephant in the room. US UK

How to use it

Use it in discussions, meetings, and families. Typical verbs are ignore, address, mention, and there is. It is for uncomfortable subjects that everyone knows about, not for secrets.

Common mistake

Not: There is a secret elephant in the room that nobody knows.
Say: There is an elephant in the room that nobody wants to discuss. (Everyone knows about it.)