all bark and no bite
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Someone who threatens but does not act
Literally: a dog that barks loudly but cannot bite
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Near equivalent
miệng hùm, gan sứa
all bark and no bite
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
air one's dirty laundry in public
To publicly discuss or disclose one's personal problems or embarrassing issues
English · via miệng hùm, gan sứa
Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.
Common questions
What does “all bark and no bite” mean?
Someone who threatens but does not act Literally: a dog that barks loudly but cannot bite
Is “all bark and no bite” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“miệng hùm, gan sứa” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.