elephant in the room?

Question

I'm probably using the phrase wrong but...

When someone says something like 'there's an elephant in the room now' and they're speaking figuratively... what does it mean?

I hope the question isn't too vague

Answer 1

The elephant in the room is a major issue (usually bad) that everyone is ignoring, despite it being both obvious and important. Often it's something that no one wants to discuss and it's sort of considered...impolite to bring it up.

Answer 2

Anyte is right.

This situation is also sometimes referred to as having an 800 lb. Gorilla in the room...