English idiom

a wolf in sheep's clothing

Register · Neutral CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

A dangerous person who pretends to be harmless or friendly.

Why this phrase?

A predator disguised as harmless prey to get close to victims.

Example

“The charming advisor turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

bury one's head in the sand

to ignore an unpleasant reality hoping it will go away

let the cat out of the bag

To reveal a secret, usually by mistake.

pull someone's leg

To tease or joke with someone by telling them something untrue in fun.

spill the beans

To reveal a secret, often accidentally.

behind the scenes

happening privately or secretly, not in public view

butter someone up

to flatter someone in order to gain a favour

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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