all that glitters is not gold

proverb

Things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so; things that appear nice might not be as good as they appear.

Similar
you can't judge a book by its coverlooks can be deceiving
OriginLatin nōn omne quod nitet aurum est →
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Meanings

proverb

alternative all that glisters is not gold · alternative all that glitters

  1. Things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so; things that appear nice might not be as good as they appear.

    All that gliſters is not gold, Often haue you heard that told, […]

    c. 1596–1598 (date written), W[illiam] Shakespeare, The Excellent History of the Merchant of Venice. […] (First Quarto), [London]: […] J[ames] Roberts [for Thomas Heyes], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii], signature [D4], recto

    Synonyms: you can't judge a book by its cover, looks can be deceiving

Synonyms & antonyms

proverbThings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so; things that appear nice might not be as good as they appear.

Similar
you can't judge a book by its coverlooks can be deceiving
Also see
you can't judge a book by its cover

Origin

  1. Latinnōn omne quod nitet aurum est“not all that shines is gold”
  2. Englishall that glitters is not gold

Calque of Latin nōn omne quod nitet aurum est (“not all that shines is gold”). Popularized by William Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice, see quotations.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَا يَلْمَعُ ذَهَبًا
  • لَيْسَ كُلُّ مَا يَلْمَعُ ذَهَبًا (laysa kullu mā yalmaʕu ḏahaban)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Basque distira guztiak ez dira urre
  • distira guztiak ez dira urrethings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Bengali সব চকচক করলেই যে সোনা হয় না
  • সব চকচক করলেই যে সোনা হয় না (śobo cokocok korlei je śōna hoẏ na)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Chinese Mandarin 金玉其外，敗絮其中 /金玉其外, 败絮其中
  • 金玉其外，敗絮其中 /金玉其外things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • 败絮其中 (jīnyùqíwài, bàixùqízhōng)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • 虛有其表 /虚有其表 (xūyǒuqíbiǎo)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • 發光的不都是金子 /发光的不都是金子 (fāguāng de bù dōu shì jīnzi)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Czech není všechno zlato, co se třpytí
  • není všechno zlato, co se třpytíthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Danish det er ikke alt guld som glimrer
  • det er ikke alt guld som glimrerthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Dutch het is niet alles goud wat er blinkt
  • het is niet alles goud wat er blinktthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Esperanto ne ĉio brilanta estas diamanto
  • ne ĉio brilanta estas diamantothings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Finnish kaikki ei ole kultaa mikä kiiltää
  • kaikki ei ole kultaa mikä kiiltääthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
French tout ce qui brille n’est pas or
  • tout ce qui brille n’est pas orthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
German es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänzt
  • es ist nicht alles Gold, was glänztthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Greek ό,τι λάμπει δεν είναι χρυσός
  • ό,τι λάμπει δεν είναι χρυσός (ó,ti lámpei den eínai chrysós)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Hebrew לא כל הנוצץ זהב הוא
  • לא כל הנוצץ זהב הוא (lo kol hanotzetz zahav hu)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Hindi हर चमकती चीज़ सोना नहीं होती
  • हर चमकती चीज़ सोना नहीं होती (har camaktī cīz sonā nahī̃ hotī)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Hungarian nem mind arany, ami fénylik
  • nem mind arany, ami fénylikthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Icelandic ekki er allt gull sem glóir
  • ekki er allt gull sem glóirthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Italian non è tutt'oro ciò che luccica, non è tutto oro quello che luccica
  • non è tutt'oro ciò che luccicathings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • non è tutto oro quello che luccicathings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Japanese 光るものすべて金ならず
  • 光るものすべて金ならず (hikaru mono subete kin narazu)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Korean 빛나는 것이 모두 금 아니라
  • 빛나는 것이 모두 금 아니라 (binnaneun geosi modu geum anira)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Latin nōn omne quod nitet aurum est
  • nōn omne quod nitet aurum estthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Malay اينده خبر درڤد روڤا, يڠ برچهاي بوکن سمواڽ اينتن
  • اينده خبر درڤد روڤاthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • يڠ برچهاي بوکن سمواڽ اينتنthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • indah khabar daripada rupathings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • yang bercahaya bukan semuanya intanthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Norwegian Bokmål det er ikke gull alt som glimrer
  • det er ikke gull alt som glimrerthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Polish nie wszystko złoto, co się świeci
  • nie wszystko złoto, co się świecithings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Portuguese nem tudo que reluz é ouro
  • nem tudo que reluz é ourothings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Romanian nu tot ce strălucește este aur, nu tot ce lucește este aur
  • nu tot ce strălucește este aurthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • nu tot ce lucește este aurthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
  • nu este aur tot ceea ce luceștethings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Russian не всё то зо́лото, что блести́т
  • не всё то зо́лото, что блести́т (ne vsjo to zóloto, što blestít)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Spanish no es oro todo lo que reluce
  • no es oro todo lo que relucethings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Swedish allt är inte guld som glimmar
  • allt är inte guld som glimmarthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Tamil மின்னுவதெல்லாம் பொன்னல்ல
  • மின்னுவதெல்லாம் பொன்னல்ல (miṉṉuvatellām poṉṉalla)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Turkish parlayan her şey altın değildir
  • parlayan her şey altın değildirthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Urdu ہر چمکتی چیز سونا نہیں ہوتی
  • ہر چمکتی چیز سونا نہیں ہوتی (har camaktī cīz sonā nahī̃ hotī)things that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Welsh nid aur yw popeth melyn
  • nid aur yw popeth melynthings that appear valuable or worthwhile might not actually be so
Cite this entry
APA

all that glitters is not gold. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20that%20glitters%20is%20not%20gold

MLA

“all that glitters is not gold.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20that%20glitters%20is%20not%20gold. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “all that glitters is not gold,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20that%20glitters%20is%20not%20gold.

Source: all that glitters is not gold on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.