white elephant

Unwanted expensive possession

A white elephant is a burdensome possession—something costly to maintain but difficult to dispose of.

The phrase comes from the story that Southeast Asian kings would gift rare white elephants to courtiers they wished to ruin, since the sacred animals couldn't be put to work but still required expensive care.

A white elephant sale or gift exchange involves unwanted items people are trying to offload: I got a fondue set at the white elephant party.

burdensome

cumbersome

Awkwardly heavy or bulky

unwieldyAwkward to manipulate
troublesomeCausing difficulty or annoyance
onerousInvolving excessive difficulty

impractical · unmanageable · inconvenient · hindrance · encumbrance · liability · nuisance · costly · maintenance · upkeep

sale

fundraiser

Event collecting money

charityVoluntary aid for others
rummageSearch unsystematically through clutter
bazaarOpen-air merchant district

flea market · jumble · secondhand · donated · bargain · church · community · bric-a-brac · odds and ends · clearance

gift

exchange

Mutual giving and receiving

unwantedNot wished for
swapExchange one for another
partyGathering for celebration

game · regifting · gag · novelty · quirky · trinket · secondhand · thrifted · amusing · random

sacred

Ganesha

Elephant-headed Hindu deity

HinduismAncient Indian spiritual tradition
BuddhismEnlightenment-seeking Eastern religion
ThaiOf Bangkok's nation

Siamese · royal · auspicious · divine · venerated · symbolic · ceremonial · blessing · temple · shrine

white elephant

cumbersome

fundraiser

exchange

Ganesha

white elephant

Opposites

Categories

Family