THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Cry wolf
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To raise false alarms or ask for help unnecessarily, risking not being believed when help is really needed.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- If you cry wolf about every minor delay, people may stop taking your warnings seriously.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
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Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
If you ________ about every minor delay, people may stop taking your warnings seriously.
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Cry wolf — To raise false alarms or ask for help unnecessarily, risking not being believed when help is really needed.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Cry wolf” about your own life.
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Does your sentence match this meaning?
To raise false alarms or ask for help unnecessarily, risking not being believed when help is really needed.
Compare: If you cry wolf about every minor delay, people may stop taking your warnings seriously.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use this disapproving expression only when there is a basis for describing repeated false alarms. It is a strong criticism, not a neutral way to describe uncertainty.
More examples in context
- The organiser worried that repeated false cancellation warnings would seem like crying wolf.
- He admitted that he had cried wolf about the broken printer when he had not checked it.
Usage note
The past form is cried wolf. Do not label a genuine request for help as crying wolf just because the situation is unclear. The idiom concerns false or unnecessary alarms and their effect on trust.
A short conversation
A: Why did nobody believe the latest warning?
B: The sender had cried wolf several times before.
A: We should still check whether this warning is real.
One more practice question
What is a possible consequence of repeatedly crying wolf?
A. People may stop believing later warnings, even when one is genuine.
B. Every later warning is automatically proved false.
Check your answer
A. Repeated false alarms can reduce trust, but they do not prove a new warning is false.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.