paper tiger
Use Paper tiger in a sentencepaper tiger
noun
a person, group, nation, or thing that has the appearance of strength or power but is actually weak or ineffectual.
Origin:
1945–50
1945–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To paper tiger
Collins
World English Dictionary
| paper tiger | |
| —n | |
| a nation, institution, etc, that appears powerful but is in fact weak or insignificant | |
| [C20: translation of a Chinese phrase first applied to the US] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Paper tiger
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
Example sentences
From a conventional warfare perspective the north is said to be a paper tiger.
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