“To cry wolf” is the phrase for raising a false alarm so often that no one believes the real one. Here is what it means, where it comes from, how to use it, and a few sayings that share its lesson.
What Does “To Cry Wolf” Mean?
To cry wolf means to raise a false alarm — to call for help or warn of danger when there is none. The deeper lesson is in what happens next: if you sound the alarm falsely too many times, people stop believing you, so that when a real danger finally comes, no one pays attention. It is a warning about the cost of crying for help you don’t need: you spend the trust you will one day truly require.
Origin of the Proverb
The phrase comes from one of the best-known of Aesop’s fables, “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” A young shepherd, bored as he watches his flock, amuses himself by shouting that a wolf is attacking — and laughs as the villagers come running to help, only to find no wolf at all. He plays the trick again and again. But when a real wolf finally appears and the boy cries out in earnest, the villagers, sure it is another lie, ignore him, and the flock is lost. The fable has taught the danger of false alarms for over two thousand years.
Examples in a Sentence
- “He’s complained of being sick so often that now he’s crying wolf — no one believes him.”
- “If you keep raising false alarms, you’ll cry wolf once too often.”
- “The agency was accused of crying wolf about threats that never came.”
Similar Proverbs
- A liar is not believed even when he tells the truth — the core lesson of crying wolf.
- Once a liar, always a liar — a false reputation is hard to shake.
- Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me — repeated deception destroys trust.
- The boy who cried wolf — the fable that gave us the phrase.
For more sayings about honesty and trust, see our smart thoughts and the full library of proverbs and their meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “to cry wolf” mean?
It means to raise a false alarm — and, by doing so repeatedly, to lose people’s trust so that they ignore you when a real danger comes.
Where does the phrase come from?
It comes from Aesop’s fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” in which a shepherd boy’s repeated false alarms mean no one believes him when a real wolf appears.
What is the lesson of crying wolf?
That if you lie or raise false alarms, you will not be believed when you finally tell the truth — “a liar is not believed even when he tells the truth.”
