don't judge a book by its cover
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Do not judge the worth of something or someone by appearance alone.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Đừng đánh giá giá trị của một thứ hoặc một người chỉ dựa trên ngoại hình
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Literally: Do not evaluate a book by its cover art.
How to use it
✓ Use it when
Countering snap judgments about people, places, or things.
Register: neutralConnotation: correctiveEra: 20th-century phrasing – present
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The restaurant looks like a garage, but don’t judge a book by its cover — the phở is incredible.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “don't judge a book by its cover” mean?
Do not judge the worth of something or someone by appearance alone. Literally: Do not evaluate a book by its cover art.
Is “don't judge a book by its cover” formal or informal?
don't judge a book by its cover is generally neutral; connotation: corrective.