Cry wolf Meaning in English
expression
Definition
To falsely warn about danger or problems so many times that people stop believing you when it is real.
Usage & Nuances
Idiomatic and informal; refers to repeatedly raising a false alarm. Often used to warn someone not to exaggerate or invent problems or emergencies. Comes from the fable 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf.'
Spanish: dar la falsa alarma - gritar '¡que viene el lobo!' (expresión idiomática)Portuguese (BR): fingir perigo - dar alarme falso - 'gritar lobo' (expressão idiomática)Portuguese (PT): fingir perigo - dar alarme falso - 'gritar lobo' (expressão idiomática)Chinese (Simplified): 谎报危险 - 虚张声势 - 装作有危险Chinese (Traditional): 謊報危險 - 虛張聲勢 - 裝作有危險Hindi: झूठा अलार्म देना - बार-बार झूठी चेतावनी देनाArabic: إطلاق إنذار كاذب - يدّعي وجود خطر بلا سببBengali: মিথ্যা বিপদ দেখানো - অযথা বিপদের কথা বলাRussian: ложная тревога - поднимать ложную тревогуJapanese: 偽りの警告をする - 嘘の危険を訴えるVietnamese: báo động giả - kêu cứu giảKorean: 거짓 경보를 울리다 - 거짓 위험을 외치다Turkish: yalancı çobanlık yapmak - gereksiz yere tehlike alarmı vermekUrdu: جھوٹا خطرہ ظاہر کرناIndonesian: membunyikan alarm palsu - berteriak serigala (idiom)
Example Sentences
If you cry wolf all the time, people will not help you when you really need it.
basic
He likes to cry wolf, so no one believes him anymore.
basic
Don’t cry wolf unless you really need help.
basic
After he cried wolf so many times, nobody even checked when he called for help.
natural
Kids sometimes cry wolf just to get attention.
natural
Don’t be the person who always cries wolf—people won’t trust you when it matters.
natural