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paper tiger

Definition of paper tiger

Examples of paper tiger in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'paper tiger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1836, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near paper tiger

paper towel

Cite this Entry

“Paper tiger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paper%20tiger. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

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Phrase Finder

• Paper tiger

What's the meaning of the phrase 'Paper tiger'?

A person who appears to have power but is in reality ineffectual.

What's the origin of the phrase 'Paper tiger'?

This expression became known in the West as a slogan that Mao’s Chinese communist state used against their opponents, particularly the US government. It appears as one of the quotations, or as he preferred to call them ‘supreme directives’ in the Quotations from Chairman Mao Zedong – better known as The Little Red Book , first published in 1964:

“Imperialism and All Reactionaries Are Paper Tigers”

Mao didn’t coin the phrase; it had been an idiom in the Chinese language for some time. The first time it is recorded in print in English is in Sir John F. Davis’ book The Chinese , 1836:

“A blustering, harmless fellow they [the Chinese] call ‘a paper tiger’.”

Mao is credited with making many quotations. Here are a few:

Women hold up half the sky. Political power grows out of the barrel of the gun. Let a hundred flowers bloom. To read too many books is harmful.

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Paper Tiger – Idiom, Origin & Meaning

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As non-threatening as it sounds, the expression paper tiger is an ancient metaphor related to threats and war. But does it hold the same meaning today? Let’s unfold the details surrounding this idiom and discover how you can use it in conversation and in your writing.

Paper Tiger Meaning Explained

The phrase paper tiger paints a rather peculiar picture—a carnivorous feline crafted from flimsy material. But, of course, language isn’t always literal, and there are no real tigers here. The term is meant to describe something or someone that appears threatening or powerful but is ineffectual and weak when challenged.

It’s all in the presentation, like a meticulously folded origami tiger, but the substance might not match the intimidating exterior.

A great example that anyone can understand is legal jargon. Whenever you sign an agreement or buy something that involves a lawyer, there’s always a hefty stack of papers filled with confusing legal terms and intimidating parameters. But underneath it all, it’s just a basic legal contract that states a simple fact.

Origin and Etymology of Paper Tiger

The phrase paper tiger comes from the world of Chinese proverbs . The specific Chinese phrase zhilaohu  directly translates to paper tiger , and Chairman Mao Zedong popularized it during the mid-20th century.

Mao used the term as a metaphor for imperialism, suggesting that Western powers might appear fierce but was fundamentally weak and could be defeated. But he didn’t actually coin the expression. It was used earlier, in 1836, by Sir John F. Davis:

“A blustering, harmless fellow they [the Chinese] call ‘a paper tiger’.”

Synonyms for Paper Tiger

Just as a single tiger can have many stripes, a single phrase can have many synonyms. Let’s explore some alternative phrases you can use.

• Hollow threat
• Toothless tiger
• Bark worse than one’s bite

Paper Tiger Examples in a Sentence

Sometimes it’s just easier to see a word or phrase in action, like in a full sentence. So here is a handful to get you started.

• My company’s strict dress code is a paper tiger—it’s hardly ever enforced, so don’t worry about it.
• Despite his loud boasting, their new boss turned out to be a paper tiger with hardly any real authority.
• The threats of the dictator turned out to be nothing more than the roar of a toothless paper tiger when the international community stepped in.
• The policy designed to address climate change was criticized as a paper tiger, lacking concrete measures and sufficient funding.
• The other soccer team’s star player talks a big game, but on the field, he is just a paper tiger.
• The qualifications are impossible to meet, but I know now that they’re just a financial paper tiger. 
• I know my parents’ rules seem harsh, but they’re just a type of paper tiger because Mom and Dad never really enforce anything.

How would the West have conducted itself during the Cold War had it known in 1945, 1970 or even 1985 what we know now—that the Soviet Union was a paper tiger that disguised internal weakness and defense shortcomings with extravagant expenditures on the arms race, aggressive posturing and obsessive focus on propaganda abroad? ( The Jerusalem Post )

Roaring Off

Remember, it’s always about more than appearances. So next time you encounter something seemingly fearsome, consider whether it might just be a paper tiger . Keep adding more idioms and cool expressions like this to your vocabulary, and check out my other helpful guides!

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Definition of paper tiger noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

paper tiger

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Paper Tiger

Quick links : Meaning | Origin | Spread & Usage

What does Paper Tiger mean?

Paper Tiger is the direct translation of the Canton Chinese word “Zhilaohu” and is used to refer to something that projects power and danger, but is, in fact, harmless and ineffective.

The expression has a long history in China, and has gained worldwide attention following a series of remarks, made by Mao Zedong in the 1950s.

“Paper Tiger” has been a popular rhetorical device in global politics since then, as a way of dismissing a commonly perceived danger.

Paper tiger

What's the origin of Paper Tiger ?

The phrase is an old Cantonese idiom, which has been around in oral tradition for centuries.

It was first translated by Robert Morrison in his Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect , published in 1828.

Another definition of “Paper Tiger” comes from John Francis Davis ‘ 1836 book, titled The Chinese: A General Description of the Empire of China and its Inhabitants. In it, a paragraph states that “A blustering, harmless fellow they call “a paper tiger.”

This excerpt was soon published in several contemporary newspapers in Great Britain.

Despite these publications, “Paper Tiger” didn’t become a globally used expression until more than a century later.

Spread & Usage

How did Paper Tiger spread?

“Paper Tiger” was made popular globally by Mao Zedong in the middle of the 20th century, in several interviews and remarks made upon American imperialism and the atom bomb. It was notably included in Mao Zedong ‘s The Little Red Book , where he associated reactionaries with a “Paper Tiger.”

In 1973, during a meeting with Henry Kissinger , Mao even claimed to have coined the English version of the phrase, which was received with an explosion of laughter by everyone present.

Since Mao , “Paper Tiger” has been a widely embraced expression, used to dismiss a political opponent or a perceived threat, with notable uses being tied to figures like Osama bin Laden and Joe Biden. It was also used in scholarly circles, in particular, by Paul de Man , who reflected upon the threat of literary theory upon the traditional school in America.

Overall, “Paper Tiger” is an expression that came far from the southern provinces of China, to dominate global politics, used for easing tension and dismissing the threat posed by opposing political forces.

External resources

Word Histories – ‘PAPER TIGER’: MEANING AND ORIGIN

Grammarist – Paper tiger

The Wall Street Journal – The Chinese Origins of ‘Paper Tiger’

More interesting stuff

DigitalCultures » Slang » Paper Tiger

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Meaning of paper tiger in English

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• Achilles heel
• at a low ebb idiom
• sitting duck
• sitting target
• soft target

Translations of paper tiger

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put a spoke in someone's wheel

to make it difficult for someone to achieve something they had planned to do

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paper tiger

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Translations
• 1.3.2 See also

Calque of Chinese 紙老虎 ／ 纸老虎 ( zhǐlǎohǔ ), a slogan used by Mao Zedong .

Pronunciation

paper tiger ( plural paper tigers )

• 2008 August 23, Ian Kershaw, “The twisted road to war”, in The Guardian ‎ [1] : The League of Nations was by this time scarcely even a paper tiger , devoid of credibility since its divisions and pusillanimity had been so clearly laid bare following Mussolini's invasion of Abyssinia in the autumn of 1935.
• 2010 October 11, Roger Cohen, “Iran, the Paper Tiger”, in The New York Times ‎ [2] , →ISSN : Iran is a paper tiger , a postmodern threat: It has many uses but a third Western war against a Muslim country is a bridge too far.

Translations

• all bark and no bite , one's bark is worse than one's bite

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What is a Paper Tiger?

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The term paper tiger is thought to have been introduced to the English language in the 1950s. It is a translation from the Chinese term zhi laohu , which was in use long before the 50s. Chairman Mao Zedong, leader of the Chinese government and communist party from 1949-1976, described the imperialistic actions of certain nations, and most specifically the US as a paper tiger. The paper tiger is something that looks threatening, but in actuality is merely made of paper; thus it can be destroyed or combated.

Phrases in English that predate the term include storm in a teacup , and the Shakespeare quote from Macbeth , “full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.” These aren’t specifically applied to imperialism. However, they do appear to suggest that some molehills appear as mountains, and are not as daunting as might be supposed.

Imperialism of the type Chairman Mao referred to meant two things, first, the attitude and attempt by larger, stronger nations to establish political domination over smaller nations, and also an attitude of larger, stronger nations that their way of life was better, and their governance was superior to smaller nations. By calling the US a paper tiger, Chairman Mao was establishing a Chinese propagandist philosophy that would dominate China for many years to come, and to a certain degree still exists.

It’s important to understand specifically what Chairman Mao meant when he used the term, since this is often glossed over and not given fullest definition. Paper tiger frequently referred to not only the policies of the US but the beliefs about imperialist policies (if they can be called such) of the US by its citizens and the rest of the world. Chairman Mao stated that the US runs up debts attempting to combat communism, and that its imperialistic policies are despised by other countries, and its own citizens. Because the policy of “oppression” as Mao saw it, was so disliked, it would collapse upon itself. This is what makes the tiger paper.

Chairman Mao did not claim that the paper tiger of the US was without any power, but merely that that power was transient and would be: “unable to withstand the wind and the rain.” Furthermore, even though the tiger was paper, it had to be fought, and Mao suggested all countries “oppressed” by US imperialism would probably continue to have to keep fighting and despising this tendency for the US to regard itself as somehow superior to other countries under different political organization.

Mao said strategically this tiger must be “despised,” but that, “Tactically, we must take it seriously.” This became a call, then, to all nations of communist persuasion to strengthen themselves and engage in battle with imperialism, standing strong in communist beliefs. This process would be time consuming, perhaps a battle existing until imperialism completely vanished, “battered by the wind and the rain.” Mao used the wind and rain as metaphor for the fight communist nations must put up to completely destroy the paper tiger.

In modern usage, the paper tiger can refer to anything that appears threatening but is really not so. We are back to Shakespeare’s idea of a thing being “full of sound and fury; signifying nothing.” The way the term is used now deviates from its purpose as used by Mao. It can apply to any large force that seems to pose a threat, or to the actual process of creating a threat where none exists in order to create fear and possibly influence people’s process of decision-making, or the political process.

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paper tiger noun

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What does the noun paper tiger mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun paper tiger . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun paper tiger ?

How is the noun paper tiger pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun paper tiger come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun paper tiger is in the 1830s.

OED's earliest evidence for paper tiger is from 1836, in the writing of John Francis Davis, colonial governor and Chinese scholar.

paper tiger is formed within English, by compounding; modelled on a Chinese lexical item.

Etymons: paper n. , tiger n.

Nearby entries

• paper spar, n. 1885–
• paper-spiller, n. 1691
• paper-stainer, n. 1596–
• paper-stealth, n. 1647
• paper stock, n. 1862–
• paper streamer, n. 1868–
• paper-table, n. 1605
• paper taffeta, n. 1957–
• paper tape, n. 1890–
• paper-thin, adj. 1929–
• paper tiger, n. 1836–
• paper tissue, n. 1888–
• paper towel, n. 1916–
• paper tower, n. 1916–
• paper town, n. 1819–
• paper trail, n. 1868–
• paper tree, n. 1727–
• paper war, n. 1650–
• paperware, n. 1885–
• paper warfare, n. 1718–
• paper-washing, n. 1890

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, entry history for paper tiger, n..

Originally published as part of the entry for paper, n. & adj.

paper tiger, n. was revised in March 2005.

paper tiger, n. was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into paper tiger, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the OED, Volume III (1982)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View paper, n. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for paper tiger, n., browse entry.

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What does paper tiger mean?

Definitions for paper tiger pa·per ti·ger, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word paper tiger ., princeton's wordnet rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

• paper tiger noun

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"

Wiktionary Rate this definition: 1.0 / 1 vote

A seemingly fierce person or thing without the ability to back up their words.

Etymology: Translating 纸老虎 (simplified) / 紙老虎 (traditional) / zhǐ lǎohǔ (pinyin)

ChatGPT Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Paper tiger.

A paper tiger is a term used to describe something or someone that appears threatening, powerful, or influential, but is actually weak, ineffective, or incapable when challenged. The phrase comes from Chinese culture and is often applied to political or military entities, referring to their lack of substance or power behind a seemingly strong facade.

Wikidata Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Paper tiger

Paper tiger is a literal English translation of the Chinese phrase zhǐlǎohǔ, meaning something that seems as threatening as a tiger, but does not withstand challenge. The phrase is an ancient one in Chinese culture, but sources differ as to when it entered the English vocabulary. It is found translated to English as early as 1836, in a work by John Francis Davis. In a 1956 interview with the American journalist Anna Louise Strong, Mao Zedong used the phrase to describe American imperialism: In Mao Zedong's view, "all reactionaries are paper tigers" — superficially powerful but prone to overextension leading to sudden collapse. When Mao criticized Soviet "appeasement" of the United States during the Sino-Soviet split, Premier Nikita Khrushchev reportedly pointed out, "the paper tiger has nuclear teeth." Osama bin Laden used the phrase describing the American soldier: Amelia Earhart used the phrase in this famous quotation: In The Resistance to Theory, Paul de Man uses the phrase to reflect upon the initial threat of literary theory towards traditional literary scholarship in American academia. His pun runs as follows:

Suggested Resources Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes

Song lyrics by paper tiger -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by paper tiger on the Lyrics.com website.

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• Powerlessness

How to pronounce paper tiger?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say paper tiger in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of paper tiger in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of paper tiger in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of paper tiger in a Sentence

Michael Hewson :

It's a glimmer, and for now we're consolidating above $40 per barrel. But OPEC showed last week it's a paper tiger in that it won't do anything to prevent supply growth.

Seiya Nakajima :

It's getting clearer that Abenomics is a paper tiger , the impact of monetary easing is similar to currency intervention. The first time they do it, there's a huge impact. But as they repeat it, the impact will wane.

Eldridge Cleaver :

The paper tiger hero, James Bond, offering the whites a triumphant image of themselves, is saying what many whites want desperately to hear reaffirmed: I am still the White Man, lord of the land, licensed to kill, and the world is still an empire at my feet.

Chen Lijing :

A new law can't become a paper tiger , we want to let it become a weapon with steel teeth.

• ^  Princeton's WordNet http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=paper tiger
• ^  Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Paper_Tiger
• ^  ChatGPT https://chat.openai.com
• ^  Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=paper tiger

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