World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesPull the wool over someone's eyes
/pʊl ðə wʊl ˈoʊ.vər ˈsʌm.wʌnz aɪz/Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To deceive someone by hiding the truth or giving them false information.
"He tried to pull the wool over the investors' eyes about the company's financial status." - 2
To mislead or hoodwink an individual through clever manipulation or trickery.
"You cannot easily pull the wool over an experienced detective's eyes."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
This idiom originates from the 19th century, likely deriving from the fashion of men wearing large wigs made of wool in 17th- and 18th-century England. Pulling someone's wig—or wool—over their eyes would literally blind or obstruct their vision, preventing them from seeing reality.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Pull the wool over someone's eyes"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Pull the wool over someone's eyes" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
jeter de la poudre aux yeux
Transliteration: zhuh-tay duh lah pood roh zhyuh
"Il essaie de jeter de la poudre aux yeux avec de fausses promesses."
jemandem Sand in die Augen streuen
Transliteration: yeh-mahn-duhm zahnt ihn dee ow-guhn shtroy-uhn
"Versuche nicht, mir Sand in die Augen zu streuen."
gettare fumo negli occhi
Transliteration: jet-tah-re foo-mo neh-gli ok-ki
"Cerca sempre di gettare fumo negli occhi alla gente."
dar gato por liebre
Transliteration: dar gah-toh por lyay-bre
"El vendedor intentó darle gato por liebre con ese coche usado."
enganar
Transliteration: en-gah-nar
"Não adianta tentar enganar a equipe com desculpas."
धोखा देना
Transliteration: dhokha dena
"वह निवेशकों की आँखों में धूल झोंकने की कोशिश कर रहा था।"
瞒 睛
Transliteration: mǎn zhù yán jīng
Script: 瞒住眼睛
"你想瞒住大家的眼睛是不可能的。"
눈을 속이다
Transliteration: nun-eul sog-i-da
"그는 사람들의 눈을 속이려고 거짓말을 했다."
目をくらませる
Transliteration: me o kuramaseru
"彼は巧みな嘘で人々の目をくらませた。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
View all English termsTo think carefully about something, typically before making a decision.
A formal, documented account of findings, investigations, or statistics issued by an authoritative body or government agency.
Used to express pleasure, realization, surprise, or understanding.
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