# gorilla in the room

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/gorilla-in-the-room
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.

## Examples

- 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.

## Origin

Blend of 800-pound gorilla + elephant in the room.

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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.