Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is
Meaning: Anxiety and worry magnify threats beyond their actual size.
Origin: A German proverb, Die Angst macht den Wolf größer, als er ist. Its early history hasn't been traced. The wolf stands for any danger that fear magnifies beyond its real size.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- 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)
- German: Die Furcht macht den Wolf größer, als er ist (literally: Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is)
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