black hole
Plural
black holes
1
a place in the space with such high gravity that pulls in everything, even light
- Black holes are formed from the remnants of massive stars that have ended their life cycles and collapsed under their own gravity.
- The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy influences the motion of nearby stars and gas clouds.
- Scientists detect black holes by observing the effects of their gravity on nearby objects and light, rather than seeing the black holes themselves directly.
- Black holes can merge with other black holes, creating ripples in spacetime known as gravitational waves, which were first detected in 2015.
- The boundary surrounding a black hole, beyond which nothing can escape, is called the event horizon.
2
a project, activity, business, etc. that uses a lot of money or resources without providing any results or profit
The idiom "black hole" is derived from the astronomical term "black hole," which refers to an extremely dense region in space with such strong gravitational forces that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. In the figurative sense, "black hole" was later used to describe something that consumes vast amounts of resources, such as money, time, or effort, without yielding any productive or beneficial results.
- The expansion plan for the business turned into a black hole, draining financial resources without increasing profits.
- The government invested heavily in the infrastructure project, but it turned out to be a black hole with little tangible benefit to the public.
- The new marketing campaign turned out to be a black hole for the company's budget as it didn't attract any new customers.
- The research project consumed enormous funds but resulted in no significant discoveries, making it a black hole of resources.
3
a difficult state or condition that is not easy to escape from
The idiom "black hole" is borrowed from the astronomical term that describes a region in space with gravitational forces so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. It is used to describe a situation or condition that is extremely difficult, challenging, or nearly impossible to escape from, often due to its overwhelming nature.
- Her addiction to drugs had become a black hole, consuming her life and preventing her from breaking free.
- Suffering from severe depression can make it feel like you're stuck in a black hole of despair.
- The never-ending paperwork and bureaucracy in the government agency created a black hole of inefficiency.