The idiom "cry wolf" means to give a false alarm or to make a false claim about something serious or dangerous. It comes from a famous fable in which a boy repeatedly cries out that a wolf is attacking his sheep, even though there is no wolf. Eventually, when a real wolf does appear, no one believes the boy's cries for help and the wolf is able to attack and kill the sheep.
We use this idiom when someone repeatedly exaggerates or lies about a situation, making it difficult for others to trust them when they are telling the truth. It can also be used to caution against making false claims or exaggerations, as it can lead to serious consequences.
For example, if a student constantly tells their teacher that they are sick and cannot come to class, but then shows up to school the next day looking healthy, the teacher may start to think that the student is "crying wolf" and not take their future claims of illness seriously.
In summary, "cry wolf" is an idiom that warns against making false claims or exaggerations, as it can lead to a loss of trust and credibility.
• The police were concerned that the man was just crying wolf when he reported a suspicious package, but they still investigated it thoroughly.
• The journalist knew that he couldn't cry wolf about the seriousness of the situation unless he had solid evidence to back up his claims.
• The politician was accused of crying wolf when he warned about the dangers of the opposing party's policies, but later events proved him right.
• Don't cry wolf if you are not really sick or hurt, otherwise no one will believe you when you really need help.
• My little sister always cries wolf whenever she wants attention from our parents.
• The company has cried wolf so many times about layoffs that no one takes their threats seriously anymore.