English Explanatory Dictionary

all that glitters is not gold

English dictionary entry

Meanings

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

Pronunciation

En-us-all that glitters is not gold.oga

Word forms

all that glitters is not gold all that glisters is not gold all that glitters

Etymology

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.

Synonyms

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

Related words

fool's gold bright shiny object
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