shooting an elephant with a BB gun

A form of shoot an elephant with a BB gun — To attempt an action with drastically insufficient force, effort, or tools.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of shoot an elephant with a BB gun
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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