paper tiger
Something or someone that appears powerful, strong or threatening but is in reality weak, ineffective, or unable to withstand challenge.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That loud manager is just a paper tiger.”
“The strict new law is a paper tiger because nobody enforces it.”
“The company threatened to sue us, but they turned out to be a paper tiger with no real legal case.”
“The new security software seemed impressive at first, but it was a paper tiger that failed to stop even the most basic viruses.”
“You should not fear his angry emails, as he is a paper tiger who never actually follows through on his threats.”
“While the dictator’s rhetoric initially terrified the neighboring nations, his military proved to be a paper tiger when the conflict finally began.”
first recorded 19th c.
A calque of the Chinese phrase 紙老虎, or zhǐlǎohǔ, the term first appeared in English in 1828 within the work of the British missionary and lexicographer Robert Morrison. While the expression is of pre-modern origin, it gained international prominence in the 20th century after being popularized by Mao Zedong.
- 01
death by a thousand paper cuts
An ultimate negative outcome, such as the failure of a project, brought about by an excessive number of bureaucratic hurdles.
- 02
have a tiger by the tail
To be in a difficult or dangerous situation in which one ideally should not remain, but from which one cannot withdraw.
- 03
have the tiger by the tail
To be in a difficult or dangerous situation in which one ideally should not remain, but from which one cannot withdraw.
- 04
lady or tiger
A pure gamble with highly divergent outcomes.
- 05
paper trail
A written record, history, or collection of evidence.
- 06
put pen to paper
To write something (especially using pen and ink).
- 07
ride the tiger
To maintain control over something aggressive and dangerous.
- 08
start with a clean sheet of paper
Synonym of start with a clean sheet.
Last updated August 10, 2026