crying wolf

A form of cry wolf — To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of cry wolf
Cite this entry
APA

crying wolf. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crying%20wolf

MLA

“crying wolf.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crying%20wolf. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crying wolf,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crying%20wolf.

Source: crying wolf on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.