emperor's new clothes
Something obvious and embarrassing that is politely ignored or that goes unacknowledged.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Everyone pretends the bad plan works, but it is the emperor's new clothes.”
“The manager's new policy is clearly a disaster, yet nobody mentions it, treating the whole situation like the emperor's new clothes.”
“By praising the flawed project to avoid conflict, the board members participated in a collective delusion that resembled the emperor's new clothes.”
After The Emperor's New Clothes, a tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.
- 01
change of clothes
A set of clothes in addition to those already worn.
- 02
dawn of a new day
A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.
- 03
little emperor
In contemporary China, a child with no siblings who is regarded as overly protected and spoiled. (Seen as belonging to a generation which is a product of China's "one-child" policy.)
- 04
new dawn
A new beginning; a fresh start; an important, promising turning point.
- 05
new hotness
The new popular trend; the latest and greatest thing.
- 06
new kid in town
Synonym of new kid on the block.
- 07
new kid on the block
Someone or something new to an existing community.
- 08
new normal
A current prevailing situation which has emerged recently, that differs dramatically from the previous one and is expected to remain.
Last updated August 10, 2026