kraɪ wʊlf
Animals
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- To shout that a wolf is coming
What does "cry wolf" mean?
- To raise a false alarm repeatedly
- To ask for help when it's not needed, causing distrust when real help is needed
Examples
- He's cried wolf so many times that nobody believes him anymore.
- Don't cry wolf about system failures—save warnings for real emergencies.
- She accused him of crying wolf, but this time the threat was real.
Origin
From Aesop's fable 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf,' where a shepherd boy repeatedly tricks villagers with false wolf warnings until they ignore him when a real wolf appears.
How to use it
Implies loss of credibility due to repeated false alarms. Common in discussions about trust and warning systems.
Similar expressions
false alarm
make up stories
boy who cried wolf
Opposites
sound legitimate warning
be truthful
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 "cry wolf" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.