`'Major'` Walter Bradbury
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"Paper tiger" is a calque of the Chinese phrase zhǐlǎohǔ (simplified Chinese: 纸老虎; traditional Chinese: 紙老虎). The term refers to something or someone that claims or appears to be powerful or threatening but is actually ineffectual and unable to withstand challenge.
Apr 18, 2024 · Learn the meaning of paper tiger, a noun that describes something that looks strong or threatening but is actually weak or harmless. See how the phrase is used in sentences from recent sources and its origin and history.
A paper tiger is someone who at first glance seems to be in charge but who, on closer examination, is completely powerless. A paper tiger gives the impression of being powerful — perhaps he is a king or a high school principal — but lacks any real power.
something, such as an enemy or foreign country, that seems very strong and dangerous but is really weak and not harmful: The Soviet Union was suddenly revealed as a paper tiger. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases. Weakness and vulnerability. Achilles heel. asthenia. at a low ebb idiom. atonic. atony. fragile. fragility. frail. glass jaw.
Paper tiger is a phrase that means a person or thing that seems powerful but is not. It comes from a Chinese idiom and was popularized by Mao Zedong in his Little Red Book. Learn more about its history and usage with examples.
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Learn the meaning and history of the phrase "paper tiger", which refers to something that looks strong but is actually weak or ineffective. Find out how it was first used to describe the US and see examples of its usage.
