gorilla in the room
A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Everyone ignores the gorilla in the room during our meetings.”
“The team discussed minor budget cuts while ignoring the gorilla in the room: the company was failing.”
“Despite the obvious decline in sales, the board members refused to address the gorilla in the room, preferring to focus on trivial marketing updates instead.”
Blend of 800-pound gorilla + elephant in the room.
- 01
800-pound gorilla
An entity that dominates its environment.
- 02
assume room temperature
To die; to be killed.
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baby elephant in the room
An obvious but mostly inconsequential issue.
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elephant in the room
A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.
- 05
get a room
Used to instruct a couple to stop displaying romantic or physical affection in public.
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light up a room
To possess great energy and appeal; to cause a social gathering to become animated and cheerful.
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locker room humor
A type of humor involving jokes about crude and sexual topics.
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make room
To rearrange or organize existing people, objects, furniture, belongings, etc., to create space for new objects.
Last updated August 10, 2026