shoot an elephant with a BB gun

verb

To attempt an action with drastically insufficient force, effort, or tools.

Opposite
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
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Meanings

verbshoot an elephant with a BB gun (third-person singular simple present shoots an elephant with a BB gun, present participle shooting an elephant with a BB gun, simple past and past participle shot an elephant with a BB gun)

present singular third person shoots an elephant with a BB gun · participle present shooting an elephant with a BB gun · participle past shot an elephant with a BB gun · past shot an elephant with a BB gun

  1. figurativelyTo attempt an action with drastically insufficient force, effort, or tools.

    Antonyms: use a sledgehammer to crack a nut

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo attempt an action with drastically insufficient force, effort, or tools.

Opposite
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Cite this entry
APA

shoot an elephant with a BB gun. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoot%20an%20elephant%20with%20a%20BB%20gun

MLA

“shoot an elephant with a BB gun.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoot%20an%20elephant%20with%20a%20BB%20gun. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shoot an elephant with a BB gun,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shoot%20an%20elephant%20with%20a%20BB%20gun.

Source: shoot an elephant with a BB gun on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.