Paper tiger
Meaning
A paper tiger refers to something or someone that appears powerful and threatening but is actually weak and ineffectual.
Origin
The vivid image of a 'paper tiger' springs directly from the Chinese phrase 'zhilaohu' (纸老虎), which literally translates to 'paper tiger'. This concept was brought to global prominence by Chairman Mao Zedong in the mid-20th century, particularly in the 1950s and 60s. Mao frequently used the term to characterize what he saw as formidable-looking but ultimately weak and ineffectual adversaries, most famously referring to American imperialism. The phrase captures the essence of something that appears mighty and threatening, like a roaring tiger, but is revealed upon closer inspection to be fragile and powerless, merely a façade of strength.
Examples
- The dictator's grand army, once feared, proved to be nothing more than a paper tiger when faced with real resistance.
- Many worried about the new environmental regulations, but they proved to be a paper tiger, having little impact on industrial pollution.