wolf in sheep's clothing
7
6.2
- idiom
- /wʊlf ɪn ʃips ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
- Informal
:
lobo con piel de oveja
- He pretended to be friendly, but everyone knew he was just a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Examples
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If you can't recognize a wolf in sheep's clothing, I question the viability of your employment here.
-
There will be wolves in sheep's clothing that desire to devour the sheep and drive them to market.
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We continue to allow ourselves to be led by the wolves in sheep's clothing.
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Christ calls us to hold our own to the fire and to throw the wolves in sheep's clothing among us out.
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God will repay them for being wolves in sheep's clothing.
Blog text (11) -
Most of the Democrats have become wolves in sheep's clothing.
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Ryan seems to be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
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How obvious was this wolf in sheep's clothing during the debates?
Blog text (28) -
He's a wolf in sheep's clothing, hiding in plain sight.
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HS is a wolf in sheep's clothing, and he knows how to wear that disguise oh-so-well.
Blog text (9)
Synonyms
160
4.4
A person who pretends to be something they are not to trick others
73
6.2
A person who pretends to have feelings or beliefs to deceive others
65
3.7
A person who pretends to be someone they are not
50
5.1
A person who pretends to be someone else to trick people
15
5.2
A person who pretends to be someone else or lies to trick people
13
5.5
A person who tricks others by making them believe something not true
7
7.4
A person who lies about their job or skills to trick people
5
8.1
A person who pretends to be friendly but secretly harms or tricks you
4
6.7
A person who tricks people into believing something false for fun or attention
2
6.8
A person who pretends to be loyal but betrays someone
2
8.4
A man who tricks people by gaining their trust and taking their money
1
7.8
A person who seems kind but is really dangerous
1
8.5
A person who pretends to be a friend but secretly works against others
1
9.5
A person who hides real thoughts or plans by saying something else
1
8.9
A person who hides their real skill to win unfairly in contests
1
9.9
A person who acts important but is not powerful or skilled
1
7.8
A person who tricks or cheats people, often as a joke
A person who should protect others but may harm them
Antonyms
How Trustworthy
Surface Forms
Morphology
wolf + in + sheep's + clothing
The image of a predatory 'wolf' disguised by 'sheep's clothing' makes the idea of a dangerous person pretending to be harmless inferable from the parts, and many languages use the same metaphor which helps learners map the image to the figurative meaning. However, because it relies on a figurative disguise mapping (animals→people) rather than a literal compositional meaning, it is not fully predictable for all B1 learners without some exposure.
Etymology
The idiom wolf in sheep's clothing comes from an old fable where a wolf puts on a sheep's clothing to join the flock and hide that it is dangerous. That's why it means 'someone who pretends to be friendly but is really dangerous'.