Meanings
plural gorillas in the room
- idiomaticA problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.
Near-synonyms: elephant in the room, emperor's new clothes
Synonyms: 800-pound gorilla in the room, 800-pound gorilla, elephant in the room, emperor's new clothes
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA problem or difficult issue that is very obvious, but is ignored for the convenience or comfort of those involved.
Origin
Cite this entry
gorilla in the room. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gorilla%20in%20the%20room
“gorilla in the room.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gorilla%20in%20the%20room. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gorilla in the room,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gorilla%20in%20the%20room.
Source: gorilla in the room on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.