🗓️ Idiom: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing (n)
💬 Meaning
- Someone who appears kind or honest but is actually dangerous or dishonest.
- A person who hides their true bad intentions behind a friendly or harmless appearance.
🧠 Example Sentences
- The investor seemed helpful, but he turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
- Don’t be fooled by her friendly tone—she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing in business meetings.
- The new partner was a wolf in sheep’s clothing and stole confidential data.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from one of Aesop’s fables, written over 2,000 years ago. In the story, a wolf dresses in sheep’s skin to trick the flock. The phrase is now used to describe people who pretend to be good but have harmful intentions.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
The new manager gained everyone’s trust, but he was really __________.
Answer
a wolf in sheep’s clothing
2. Choose the correct meaning of “a wolf in sheep’s clothing”:
A) A person who wears fancy clothes
B) A person who pretends to be good but is not
C) A leader who is very quiet
Answer
B) A person who pretends to be good but is not
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“He acted friendly, but secretly planned to cheat the company.” → Change the sentence using: a wolf in sheep’s clothing
Answer
He acted friendly but was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
