A person who is dangerous but pretends to be harmless, an enemy who is disguising as a friend

Etymology:

  • The idiom originated from one of the Aesop’s fables along with the New Testament (Matthew 7:15). Wolf is considered as a dangerous animal by most of the people while a sheep is considered as a harmless or friendly animal. So, in case a wolf wanted to harm to people, he can pretend to be a nice guy by disguising himself as a sheep. In this way, the wolf can be considered as a harmless animal with a costume of the sheep.
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Marsh was a wolf in sheep’s clothing as he pretended to help people but in reality he was a spy.

Submitted on February 25, 2019

Additional definitions for 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing':

wolf in sheep's clothingSomething harmful or problematic disguised as something peaceful or pleasant.
wolf in sheep's clothingGrammar school stories told of the Wily wolf wearing a sheepskin costume as he stealthily circles the grazing sheep seeking to snatch a helpless little lamb in his sharp-toothed and drooling vicious jaws!
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