skeleton in the cupboard

noun

A shameful secret.

Similar
skeleton in the closetskeleton in the houseskeleton
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Meanings

nounskeleton in the cupboard (plural skeletons in the cupboard or skeletons in the cupboards)

plural skeletons in the cupboard · plural skeletons in the cupboards · alternative skeleton in one's cupboard

  1. UKidiomaticA shameful secret.

    ‘I expect all families have some skeletons in the cupboards,’ Robina said with a smile of understanding. ‘I know I have some relatives who embarrass me, but you have done nothing to be ashamed of that I can see.[…]’

    2005, Eileen Knowles, chapter 11, in Roses for Robina (Linford Romance Library), large print edition, Leicester, Leicestershire: Linford, published 2017, →ISBN, page 292

    Synonyms: skeleton in the closet, skeleton in the house

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA shameful secret.

Similar
skeleton in the closetskeleton in the house

More synonyms by meaning

nouna scandal that is kept secret

Similar
skeletonskeleton in the closet
Broader
scandaloutrage
Also see
skeletonskeleton in the closetskeleton in the house

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 家醜 /家丑
  • 家醜 /家丑 (gaa¹ cau²)shameful secret
Chinese Mandarin 家醜 /家丑
  • 家醜 /家丑 (jiāchǒu)shameful secret
Czech kostlivec ve skříni
  • kostlivec ve skřínishameful secret
Danish skelet i skabet
  • skelet i skabetshameful secret
Dutch lijk in de kast
  • lijk in de kastshameful secret
Estonian luukere kapis
  • luukere kapisshameful secret
Finnish luuranko kaapissa
  • luuranko kaapissashameful secret
French cadavre dans le placard, squelette dans le placard
  • cadavre dans le placardshameful secret
  • squelette dans le placardshameful secret
German Leiche im Keller, Dreck am Stecken
  • Leiche im Kellershameful secret
  • Dreck am Steckenshameful secret
Greek σκελετός στην ντουλάπα
  • σκελετός στην ντουλάπα (skeletós stin ntoulápa)shameful secret
Italian scheletro nell'armadio
  • scheletro nell'armadioshameful secret
Lithuanian kompromatas
  • kompromatasshameful secret
Norwegian Bokmål skjelett i skapet
  • skjelett i skapetshameful secret
Polish trup w szafie, szkielet w szafie
  • trup w szafieshameful secret
  • szkielet w szafieshameful secret
Portuguese esqueleto no armário
  • esqueleto no armárioshameful secret
Russian скеле́т в шкафу́, семе́йная та́йна
  • скеле́т в шкафу́ (skelét v škafú)shameful secret
  • семе́йная та́йна (seméjnaja tájna)shameful secret
Spanish esqueleto en el armario
  • esqueleto en el armarioshameful secret
Swedish skelett i garderoben
  • skelett i garderobenshameful secret
Cite this entry
APA

skeleton in the cupboard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skeleton%20in%20the%20cupboard

MLA

“skeleton in the cupboard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skeleton%20in%20the%20cupboard. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “skeleton in the cupboard,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/skeleton%20in%20the%20cupboard.

Source: skeleton in the cupboard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.