Definition of WHITE ELEPHANT

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The real white elephant (the kind with a trunk) is a pale pachyderm that has long been an object of veneration in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. Too revered to be a beast of burden, the white elephant earned a reputation as a burdensome beast, one that required constant care and feeding but never brought a single cent (or paisa or satang or pya) to its owner. One story has it that the kings of Siam (the old name for Thailand) gave white elephants as gifts to those they wished to ruin, hoping that the cost of maintaining the voracious but sacred mammal would drive its new owner to the poorhouse.

Examples of white elephant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Not to be outdone in its extravagance, Russia — the country that brought us $50 billion worth of white elephants for the 2014 Winter Olympics — spent a reported $10.8 billion on World Cup stadiums. — Mark Zeigler, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Your guide to the World Cup you forgot was happening," 13 June 2018 Image Too much overseas activity risks creating wasteful white elephants that can drag down Chinese companies and local partners alike. — Keith Bradsher, New York Times, "China Taps the Brakes on Its Global Push for Influence," 29 June 2018 But, in interviews, Mr. Karas and others singled out the stadium for praise amid concerns that other World Cup stadiums in Russia would become white elephants after the monthlong competition. — Andrew Keh, New York Times, "If You’re Afraid of Heights but Going to the World Cup, Don’t Sit Here," 13 June 2018 This is an existing white elephant getting a new lease on life, if only briefly as an imposing backdrop. — Washington Post, "Unused Soviet-era office block looms over World Cup fans," 28 June 2018 Emanuel joined Musk in the white elephant of former Mayor Richard M. Daley’s O’Hare high-speed rail dreams, the Chicago Transit Authority superstation in the Block 37 retail development in the Loop. — John Byrne, chicagotribune.com, "Emanuel calls Elon Musk's proposed 12-minute express tunnel to O'Hare 'the fast lane to Chicago's future'," 14 June 2018 Perennials for sun and shade, bulbs, herbs, and unusual plants from members' own gardens will be available, along with a gardener's white elephant table. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Vernon Edition," 8 May 2018 The sprawling terminal may have become a bit of a white elephant with the falloff in passenger traffic, but not so the airport as a whole. — New York Times, "The Trouble With the Memphis Airport: No Crowds," 23 May 2018 Perennials for sun and shade, bulbs, herbs, and unusual plants from members' own gardens will be available, along with a gardener's white elephant table. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Vernon Edition," 8 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'white elephant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.