the lady doth protest too much

phrase

It is suspected that, because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite of what they're saying must be true.

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Meanings

phrase

alternative the lady doth protest too much, methinks · alternative methinks the lady doth protest too much · alternative methinks thou dost protest too much

  1. It is suspected that, because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite of what they're saying must be true.

    In all Penelope's devotion to her husband there is an ever present sense that the lady doth protest too much.

    1897, Samuel Butler, The Authoress of the Odyssey

Origin

An allusion to Shakespeare's Hamlet, where the line is spoken by Queen Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. In the play, "protest" is used to mean "insist that what one is saying is true" (in this case, the Player Queen's protestations of love), not "insist that what another is saying is false."

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic السَّيِّدَة تَعْتَرِضُ أَكْثَر مِن اللَّازِم
  • السَّيِّدَة تَعْتَرِضُ أَكْثَر مِن اللَّازِمbecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Chinese Mandarin 此地無銀三百兩 /此地无银三百两, 欲蓋彌彰 /欲盖弥彰
  • 此地無銀三百兩 /此地无银三百两 (cǐdì wú yín sān bǎi liǎng)because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
  • 欲蓋彌彰 /欲盖弥彰 (yùgàimízhāng)because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Finnish hän vakuutteli mielestäni liiaksi, se koira älähtää, johon kalikka kalahtaa
  • hän vakuutteli mielestäni liiaksibecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
  • se koira älähtää, johon kalikka kalahtaabecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
French la dame proteste un peu trop
  • la dame proteste un peu tropbecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Italian gallina che canta ha fatto l'uovo
  • gallina che canta ha fatto l'uovobecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Polish ta dama przyrzeka za wiele
  • ta dama przyrzeka za wielebecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Portuguese a senhora protesta muito
  • a senhora protesta muitobecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Russian леди действительно слишком много выступает.
  • леди действительно слишком много выступает. (ledi dejstvitelʹno sliškom mnogo vystupajet.)because someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Spanish la dama protesta mucho
  • la dama protesta muchobecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Welsh yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlid
  • yr euog a ffy heb neb yn ei erlidbecause someone is insisting too much about something, the opposite must be true
Cite this entry
APA

the lady doth protest too much. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20lady%20doth%20protest%20too%20much

MLA

“the lady doth protest too much.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20lady%20doth%20protest%20too%20much. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the lady doth protest too much,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20lady%20doth%20protest%20too%20much.

Source: the lady doth protest too much on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.