Example
“The restaurant looks shabby, but don't judge a book by its cover — the food is excellent.”
Dictionary details
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
hit the books
Informal · CEFR B1
to study hard, especially before an exam
by the book
Neutral · CEFR B2
strictly following the rules or official procedures
take a leaf out of someone's book
Neutral · CEFR B2
to follow someone's good example by copying what they do
better late than never
Neutral · CEFR A2
Doing something after a delay is better than not doing it at all.
actions speak louder than words
Neutral · CEFR B1
What you do matters more than what you say.
every cloud has a silver lining
Neutral · CEFR B1
Every difficult situation has some hopeful or positive aspect.
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.