🗓️ Idiom: A Paper Tiger (n)
💬 Meaning
- Something that seems powerful or threatening but is actually weak and ineffective.
- An organization or rule that looks strict but lacks real enforcement.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The agency appeared tough on compliance, but in reality, it was a paper tiger.
- Some companies create internal policies that are just paper tigers — they look strong but no one follows them.
- Without penalties or audits, the regulation became a paper tiger.
🏛️ Origin
The idiom comes from Chinese, where a “paper tiger” refers to something that appears fierce like a tiger but is made of paper and cannot actually cause harm. It became popular in English through political and business discussions, especially when talking about ineffective threats or authorities.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
That compliance policy is a __________ — it looks serious but is never enforced.
Answer
paper tiger
2. Choose the correct meaning of “a paper tiger”:
A) A highly respected leader
B) Something that appears powerful but is actually weak
C) A rule that everyone must follow strictly
Answer
B) Something that appears powerful but is actually weak
3. Change the sentence using “a paper tiger”:
“The department had strict policies, but no one was afraid of them because they were never enforced.”
Answer
The department’s strict policies were only a paper tiger.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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