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- DictionaryPa·per ti·ger/ˌpāpər ˈtīɡər/
noun
- 1. a person or thing that appears threatening but is ineffectual.
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A person who appears to have power but is in reality ineffectual. What's the origin of the phrase 'Paper tiger'? ‘Paper tiger’ is one of several phrases we first heard in Mao’s Little Red Book. This expression became known in the West as a slogan that Mao’s Chinese communist state used against their opponents, particularly the US government.
Paper tiger definition: a person, group, nation, or thing that has the appearance of strength or power but is actually weak or ineffectual.. See examples of PAPER TIGER used in a sentence.
The term is meant to describe something or someone that appears threatening or powerful but is ineffectual and weak when challenged. It’s all in the presentation, like a meticulously folded origami tiger, but the substance might not match the intimidating exterior. A great example that anyone can understand is legal jargon.
Add to word list. 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.
3 days ago · If you say that an institution, a country, or a person is a paper tiger, you mean that although they seem powerful they do not really have any power. Sometimes if you actually confront a situation it turns out to be a paper tiger. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers.
Britannica Dictionary definition of PAPER TIGER. [count] : someone or something that appears powerful or dangerous but is not. The new laws are just paper tigers without any method of enforcement. PAPER TIGER meaning: someone or something that appears powerful or dangerous but is not.
Jan 24, 2021 · The phrase paper tiger denotes a person, country, etc., that appears powerful or threatening but is actually weak or ineffective. This phrase is modelled on Chinese zhǐlǎohǔ, from zhǐ, paper, and lǎohǔ, tiger. These are the earliest occurrences of the phrase paper tiger that I have found, in chronological order:
