tip of the iceberg
English
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tip of the iceberg
- /ˈtɪp‿əv ðiː ˈaɪsbɜːɡ/ UK
- /ˈtɪp‿əv ði ˈaɪsbɝɡ/ US
Where it comes from
From the fact that floating icebergs typically have about nine tenths of their volume below the surface of the water. Early uses of the term are believed to have been influenced by the sinking of the R.M.S. Titanic on April 15, 1912 after it struck an iceberg. First attested in 1962 in the figurative sense.
noun tips of icebergs · tips of the icebergs
- A small indication of a larger possibility; the first part encountered of a problem that is much bigger than it seems. This is only the tip of the iceberg. Our time together can become much more exciting.
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tip, iceberg.
Translations
Every language
noun small indication of a larger possibility
| Español | punta del iceberg, solo el inicio |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 빙산의 일각 bingsanui ilgak |
| 日本語 | 氷山の一角 hyōzan-no ikkaku |
| 中文 | 冰山一角 bīngshān yījiǎo |
| Português | ponta do icebergue, superfície |
| Français | partie émergée de l'iceberg, partie visible de l'iceberg, sommet de l'iceberg |
| Deutsch | Spitze des Eisbergs |
| Italiano | punta dell'iceberg |
| Ελληνικά | κορυφή του παγόβουνου koryfí tou pagóvounou |
| Русский | верху́шка а́йсберга verxúška ájsberga |
| العربية | غَيْض مِنْ فَيْض ḡayḍ min fayḍ |
| עברית | קצה הקרחון |
Talk about this word "tip of the iceberg." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tip%20of%20the%20iceberg. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tip of the iceberg. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tip%20of%20the%20iceberg "tip of the iceberg." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tip%20of%20the%20iceberg.Cite this
@misc{tip_of_the_iceberg_2026,
title = {tip of the iceberg},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tip%20of%20the%20iceberg},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
