# emperor's new clothes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/emperors-new-clothes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something obvious and embarrassing that is politely ignored or that goes unacknowledged.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

After The Emperor's New Clothes, a tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.