paper tiger
noun
a person, group, nation, or thing that has the appearance of strength or power but is actually weak or ineffectual.
Origin of paper tiger
First recorded in 1945–50
Words nearby paper tiger
paper mulberry,
paper nautilus,
paper over,
paper profit,
paper tape,
paper tiger,
paper trail,
paper wasp,
paper-clip,
paper-cutter,
paper-mâché
British Dictionary definitions for paper tiger
paper tiger
noun
a nation, institution, etc, that appears powerful but is in fact weak or insignificant
Word Origin for paper tiger
C20: translation of a Chinese phrase first applied to the US