ə wʊlf ɪn ʃiːps ˈkloʊðɪŋ
Animals
neutral
advanced
- Literally:
- A wolf disguised as a sheep
What does "a wolf in sheep's clothing" mean?
A dangerous person disguised as harmless or friendly
Examples
- The friendly investor turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
- Don't be fooled by his charm — he's a wolf in sheep's clothing.
- The seemingly generous loan offer was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Origin
From the Bible, Matthew 7:15, and Aesop's fables.
How to use it
Widely used to warn about deceptive people or offers.
Similar expressions
impostor
fraud
Trojan horse
snake in the grass
Opposites
what you see is what you get
genuine article
Related idioms
- kill two birds with one stone
To accomplish two goals with a single action
- let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret accidentally
- elephant in the room
An obvious problem or issue that everyone is aware of but no one wants to discuss
- don't count your chickens before they hatch
Don't assume success before it actually happens
- hold your horses
To wait and be patient
- fish out of water
Someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable in a particular situation
Use it in a practice answer
Try "a wolf in sheep's clothing" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.