Elephant in the Room - Idiom of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

5 min read

Updated On Dec 11, 2025

Boost your IELTS vocabulary with the idiom ‘Elephant in the Room’ to describe a major issue everyone avoids talking about in the IELTS Speaking & Writing sections. Find out the meaning, synonyms, tips to add the idiom, and more to boost fluency.

Elephant in the Room - Idiom of the Day for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Meaning of the Idiom ‘Elephant in the Room’
Where to Add ‘Elephant in the Room’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Answer?
Exercise on the Idiom ‘Elephant in the Room’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

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The expression ‘Elephant in the Room’ describes a problem or an issue that is sensitive on which people purposely avoid talking or discussing. Mastery of such idioms would indicate your capacity to communicate intricate thoughts and ideas fluently in speaking and your coherence and cohesion in writing. One of the areas in the IELTS Exam where you need to focus would be the grammar range and pronunciation accuracy as the band scores for both can be improved when practiced with idioms through contextual usage. You can apply this term in topics like social issues, relationships, workplace difficulties, and cultural discussions which can broaden the language use and convey sensitive ideas with maturity.

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Meaning of the Idiom ‘Elephant in the Room’

To use any idiom correctly in IELTS Speaking & Writing sections, learning the definition is the first step. This will give a clear understanding of the context where the idiom fits, which synonyms are better for use, and how this idiom can elevate your knowledge of the IELTS Vocabulary. Such insights are very important for developing fluency and preventing incorrect positioning in sentences. The table below provides a breakdown of the meaning, synonyms, and example sentences which can help you get familiar with the idiom one step at a time.

Topic	Description
Elephant in the Room	Idiom
Definition	An obvious problem or situation that people avoid talking about.
Synonyms	Thorn in my side Bitter Pill Heavy cross to bear Heavy cross to bear Bull in a china shop Written all over your face
Origin	The phrase was first used with its modern meaning in the 1950s, although it’s first ever recorded use was in 1935, when the expression meant, “something obvious and incongruous”.
Example	For IELTS Speaking : Let’s address the elephant in the room: our students’ test scores are falling, and if they fall even further down the line, the school will lose its funding. Who wants to bring up the elephant in the room and tell the manager that we’ve broken our hotel room window? For IELTS Writing : None of the political parties are bringing up the elephant in the room: the rising cost of living. For the past few elections, the elephant in the room has always been the poor quality of public housing.

Check out the video below to learn 9 IELTS Speaking IDIOMS for BAND 9 SCORE!

Where to Add ‘Elephant in the Room’ in IELTS Speaking & Writing Answer?

The idiom, ‘Elephant in the Room’, is ideal for the IELTS Speaking & Writing sections such as in argumentative essays, problem-solution topics, and speaking answers related to the social, cultural, or workplace challenges. If you are aware of when and how to use the idiom, you will make your ideas sound more natural. This will help you to enhance your lexical flexibility and strengthen your opinions, which is all very helpful in scoring a higher band. Below are the topics in which you can add the idiom seamlessly, without forcing it in your answers.

Topics	IELTS Speaking	IELTS Writing
Education	A lot of students become the elephant in the room when it comes to online learning which the majority of individuals do not talk about.	One of the major elephants in the room within education today is the digital divide which hinders equal access to online materials.
Environment	While the discussion about global warming is going on, the burning of fossil fuels by big industries continues to be the elephant in the room.	The elephant in the room regarding the environment is the government’s reduced initiative to cut down on carbon emissions.
Business	The high employee turnover was the elephant in the room during the meeting, but no one was willing to bring this topic up.	The lack of accountability for misconduct in corporate governance is one of the elephants in the room.
Society & Culture	Generational differences are the source of the elephant in the room that becomes the main focus during family discussions.	One of the most significant elephants in the room is the inequality of income which affects many aspects of life.
Health	Mental health problems are widespread, but people are still the elephant in the room as they do not get involved in discussions.	A public health issue can become an elephant in the room due to the low level of awareness about preventive care.

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Exercise on the Idiom ‘Elephant in the Room’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

The following exercise will help you to check the level of your understanding of the idiom ‘Elephant in the Room’ as well as the identification of the situations where it can be used appropriately. Remember to learn the idiom contextually rather than just its meanings so that it can add to your vocabulary and help in the quality of your answers.

Choose the following idioms to fill in the blank:

Break the Ice	Spill the Beans	Once in a Blue Moon
Elephant in the Room	Hit the Nail on the Head	Bite the Bullet

1 She knew the treatment would be painful, but she decided to _______________ and get it done.

2 At the start of the workshop, the trainer cracked a joke to _______________ and make everyone comfortable.

3 Everyone kept avoiding the main issue, but the manager finally addressed the _______________ during the meeting.

4 When you said the design failed due to poor research, you really _______________ .

5 He lives abroad, so we only meet _______________ when he visits India.

6 Don’t _______________ about the surprise party—we want it to stay secret until Friday!

Answer to the Exercise on the Idiom ‘Elephant in the Room’ for IELTS Speaking & Writing

Review the correct answers now to discover how the idiom is used in its context. This will guide you to use the idiom with more confidence, boost your lexical range, and finally, your chances of getting a higher IELTS Band Score.

Bite the Bullet
Break the Ice
Elephant in the Room
Hit the Nail on the Head
Once in a Blue Moon
Spill the Beans

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To sound more fluent, analytical, and confident in the Speaking & IELTS Writing sections, you can use this idiom in your answers. You will be able to incorporate this in topics and showcase a strong lexical control. By getting to know the situations where you can use the word, you can discuss topics related to society, education, workplace difficulties, and global topics. Keep on learning new idioms and start improving on your expressive language style.

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