elephant
gb/ˈɛləfənt/ us/ˈɛləfənt/
A1
English
~ 8800
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
very large gray mammal
A very big gray animal with a long nose called a trunk and long white teeth called tusks. It lives in Africa and Asia.
Usage pattern:
an elephant [does something]
Common mistake:
Some learners forget to make the plural 'elephants' and say 'three elephant' instead of 'three elephants'. Others confuse the noun 'elephant' with the adjective 'elephantine', which means 'very large'.
Synonyms
pachyderm (More technical or humorous; much less common than 'elephant' in everyday speech.)
Antonyms
mouse (Often used as a humorous contrast because a mouse is very small and an elephant is very large.)
Collocations
African elephant
|Asian elephant
|herd of elephants
|baby elephant
|elephant tusks
|elephant sanctuary
Themes
animals
|nature
Examples
- We saw a wild elephant drinking at the river.
- The baby elephant followed its mother closely.
- Elephant tusks are made of ivory, which is now heavily protected.
- An Asian elephant has smaller ears than an African elephant.
- The zoo built a larger enclosure for the elephants.
Learner examples
- The elephant is a very big animal.
- There are two elephants at our city zoo.
- The elephant uses its trunk to drink water.
- I saw an elephant on my trip to Thailand.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
very big or clumsy person
A word for a person or thing that is very big or moves in a slow, heavy way, like an elephant.
Usage pattern:
call [someone] an elephant
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think this always sounds friendly. In fact, calling a person an 'elephant' can sound rude or unkind, so it should be used with care, usually as a joke about yourself or with close friends.
Synonyms
giant ('Giant' suggests great size and can be neutral or positive, while calling someone an 'elephant' often sounds negative or embarrassing.)
|
heavyweight (Can suggest physical size or importance; 'elephant' focuses more on being big, heavy, or clumsy.)
Antonyms
featherweight (Describes someone very light or small, the opposite of being big and heavy like an 'elephant'.)
Collocations
call [someone] an elephant
|feel like an elephant
|move like an elephant
Themes
people
|description
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I feel like an elephant in this huge winter coat.
- He joked that he was an elephant on the dance floor.
- In that tiny kitchen I moved around like an elephant, bumping into everything.
Learner examples
- I feel like an elephant in these heavy boots.
- He says he is an elephant when he tries to dance.
- In that small room I walk like an elephant and hit the chairs.
Noun
C1
entity
3
symbol of US Republican Party
The elephant picture or sign that represents the Republican Party in the United States.
Usage pattern:
the Republican elephant [represents something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think any picture of an elephant in US politics is about animals. In political news or cartoons in the US, an elephant usually stands for the Republican Party, not the real animal.
Synonyms
Republican symbol (A more general phrase; 'elephant' is the specific animal symbol for the party.)
Antonyms
donkey (The donkey is the traditional animal symbol of the US Democratic Party, often seen as the opposite side of the Republican elephant.)
Collocations
the Republican elephant
|elephant symbol
|party elephant
Themes
politics
|usa
|symbols
|communication
Examples
- The party’s posters all showed the Republican elephant in red, white, and blue.
- A cartoon in the newspaper showed the elephant arguing with the Democratic donkey.
- She wore a pin with the elephant symbol to show her support for the Republicans.
Learner examples
- In the US, the Republican Party uses an elephant as its symbol.
- The cartoon shows an elephant for Republicans and a donkey for Democrats.
- He drew an elephant to talk about the Republican Party in his school project.
Grammar
Dictionary form
elephant
IPA
GB/ˈɛləfənt/
US/ˈɛləfənt/
Syllables & stress
ele - phant (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ele)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: elephant
- Plural: elephant, elephants
Word family
Forms
elephants
noun
Advanced or less common
elephantine
adjective C1
Expressions
elephants never forget
1/ˈɛləfənts nˈɛvɚ fɚɡˈɛt/
fixed phrase
saying about very strong memory
People say this to mean that someone remembers things for a very long time, often used in a light or joking way.
Examples
- You remembered my coffee order from last year—elephants never forget!
- He warned his team that elephants never forget, so they should keep their promises to customers.
- She smiled and said, "Elephants never forget," when I asked how she remembered my name.
have a memory like an elephant
1/hˈæv ə mˈɛmɚi lˈaɪk ən ˈɛləfənt/
idiom
have very good long memory
To be able to remember things very well for a long time.
Examples
- She has a memory like an elephant and never forgets a face.
- My grandfather has a memory like an elephant; he remembers details from fifty years ago.
- If you have a memory like an elephant, exams are much easier.
the elephant in the room
1/ðə ˈɛləfənt ˈɪn ðə ɹˈum/
idiom
obvious issue everyone avoids
An important problem that everyone knows about but no one wants to talk about.
Examples
- Climate change is the elephant in the room in many political debates.
- His drinking problem was the elephant in the room at every family gathering.
- During the meeting, salary cuts were the elephant in the room that nobody mentioned.
white elephant
1/wˈaɪt ˈɛləfənt/
idiom
Useless expensive possession difficult to maintain/sell
Something you own that costs too much to keep but is not useful.
Examples
- That stadium has become a real white elephant for the city.
- The empty stadium built for the tournament has become a white elephant.
- Her uncle’s yacht was a beautiful but costly white elephant.
- That huge printer turned out to be a white elephant we hardly ever use.
- Many people worry that the new airport will become a white elephant.