Meaning
A person who appears harmless, friendly, or trustworthy but is actually dangerous or has hostile intentions.
It’s used as a warning about deceptive appearances — someone whose true, threatening nature is deliberately hidden behind a gentle or innocent disguise.
Origin
The image comes directly from the Bible: in the Gospel of Matthew (7:15), Jesus warns his followers, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” The phrase entered English as a fixed idiom describing hidden malice behind an innocent front, and it also echoes one of Aesop’s fables (in later Greek and Latin retellings, since the original collection is largely known through later compilers) about a wolf that disguises itself in a sheepskin to prey on the flock undetected — a story that circulated independently of, but reinforced, the biblical warning.
Examples
He seemed charming at first, but he turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Be careful with that investor — he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The company’s friendly ads hide a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
A: She’s always so polite. B: Don’t be fooled, she’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Wolf in sheep's clothing' mean?
A person who appears harmless, friendly, or trustworthy but is actually dangerous or has hostile intentions.
It’s used as a warning about deceptive appearances — someone whose true, threatening nature is deliberately hidden behind a gentle or innocent disguise.