# feet of clay

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/feet-of-clay
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

In someone apparently strong and without failings, a hidden weakness which could lead to downfall.

## Examples

- I realized my hero had feet of clay.
- The politician was seen as a perfect leader until his scandal revealed his feet of clay.
- Though the public revered him as an untouchable icon, his private journals eventually exposed the feet of clay that would ultimately destroy his reputation.

## Origin

The image comes from Daniel 2:31-45, where King Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a colossal statue: a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, belly and thighs of bronze, legs of iron, and feet made partly of iron and partly of clay. A stone strikes the statue at its feet, the brittle mixture gives way, and the whole towering figure collapses. Daniel reads the dream as a succession of kingdoms, but the memorable detail is the flaw at the base: something magnificent brought down by weakness where it stands. That contrast, imposing surface over fragile foundation, is what carried into English. A giant of gold is only as stable as the clay it rests on. To have feet of clay is now to be admired but secretly flawed, a hero or institution with a hidden weakness that undermines everything above it. The phrase is used most often of people we once thought unshakeable.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.