paper tiger

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paper tiger

One that is seemingly dangerous and powerful but is in fact timid and weak: "They are paper tigers, weak and indecisive" (Frederick Forsyth).

paper tiger

a nation, institution, etc., that appears powerful but is in fact weak or insignificant

[translation of a Chinese phrase first applied to the US]

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun

paper tiger - the nature of a person or organization that appears powerful but is actually powerless and ineffectual; "he reminded Mao that the paper tiger had nuclear teeth"

impotence, impotency, powerlessness - the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble

Translations

paper tiger n → tigre f di carta

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Harmlessness impotence impotency Ineffectually Niven paper paperless powerlessness pretense			Through effective management, Paper Tiger has been able to retain all of its employees during the current economic crisis. GROUPS HONOR TOP LOCAL BUSINESSES by The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, NM) It's unlikely you will be able to strip the wallpaper without some damage to the drywall, but damage can be minimized by using a wallpaper scoring tool, such as the Paper Tiger, from a home center or wallpaper-supply store. Do it yourself by Units Is Iran a paper tiger when it can move Hezbollah and its master Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, who controls Lebanon 'perforce', whenever and however it feels like it? Not a "Paper Tiger"! by Dar Al Hayat, International ed. (Beirut, Lebanon)			Paper hanger Paper hangings Paper house paper knife paper loss paper mill paper money paper mulberry Paper muslin paper napkin paper nautilus paper over paper plant paper plate paper profit Paper reed paper round paper route paper rush Paper sailor paper shop Paper stainer Paper stock paper tape paper thin paper tiger paper towel paper toweling paper trail paper wasp Paper weight paper white paper-back book paper-cutter paper-mache paper-pusher paper-thin paper-train paperback paperback book paperback edition paperbacked paperbark paperbark birch paperboard paperbound paperboy paperclip paperer papergirl paperhanger			Paper run paper rush Paper sailor Paper Screen Gem Award Paper Sensor paper shale Paper Shipping Sack Manufacturers Association paper shop paper spar Paper stainer Paper stock Paper Stock Weight Paper Street Soap Company Paper Surface Efficiency paper tape paper tape Paper Tape Equipment Paper Tape Punch Paper Tape Reader Paper Tape Reader/Punch Paper Tape Transmission Code Paper Tape Unit paper the file paper thin paper throw paper tiger Paper Tiger Television Paper tiger thesis Paper Tigers Paper tissue Paper to Electronic Paper to Pixel Creative Group Paper Toilet Seat Cover paper towel paper towel Paper towel dispenser Paper Towel Guy paper toweling Paper towels Paper trade Paper Traders Association Paper Trades Paper trading paper trail paper trail paper trails Paper Transport Speed Paper under Consideration Paper Valley Youth Soccer Club paper wasp paper wasps Paper weight Paper weight Paper weight

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