Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is
Meaning: Anxiety and worry magnify threats beyond their actual size.
Origin: German proverb (Die Angst macht den Wolf größer als er ist), widely used across northern Europe.
Translations
- French: La peur fait le loup plus grand qu'il n'est (literally: Fear makes the wolf bigger than it is)
- Spanish: El miedo hace al lobo más grande de lo que es (literally: Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is)
- Japanese: 恐怖は狼を実際より大きく見せる (Kyōfu wa ōkami wo jissai yori ōkiku miseru) (literally: Fear makes the wolf appear larger than it is)
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