wolf in sheep's clothing
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Someone who appears harmless but has evil intentions
Literally: a wolf disguised as a sheep
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
Beware the wolf in sheep's clothing.Hãy coi chừng những con sói đội lốt cừu.
Tatoeba sentence #920874 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
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 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Near equivalent
miệng nam mô, bụng một bồ dao găm
(adjective) hypocritical, wolf in sheep's clothing, speaking virtuously but hiding selfish intentions
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
sói đội lốt cừu
(noun) wolf in sheep's clothing
Tiếng Việt
Near equivalent
khẩu Phật tâm xà
(adjective) hypocritical, wolf in sheep's clothing, speaking virtuously but hiding selfish intentions
Tiếng Việt
Common questions
What does “wolf in sheep's clothing” mean?
Someone who appears harmless but has evil intentions Literally: a wolf disguised as a sheep
Is “wolf in sheep's clothing” 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 nam mô, bụng một bồ dao găm” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.