# show one's true colors

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/show-ones-true-colors
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To reveal how one really is, as opposed to how one has been portrayed or after having been deceptively and deliberately misleading.

## Examples

- He finally showed his true colors during the argument.
- She seemed very kind at first, but she showed her true colors when things went wrong at work.
- The politician maintained a facade of integrity for years, but the scandal forced him to show his true colors to the public.

## Origin

The term is of nautical origin, derived from the requirement that every ship fly an ensign, or colours, to indicate its national allegiance while at sea. It was a standard deception among pirates to sail under false colours, hoisting a friendly flag to approach a merchant vessel without causing alarm. The tactic relied on the target remaining unaware of the pirate’s intent until the distance between the two ships had closed sufficiently to make escape impossible. Only when the pirate ship reached close quarters would it unfurl its true colours. The sudden replacement of a friendly flag with the pirate’s own ensign served as the final signal of hostile intent. The phrase entered the wider language as a metaphor for the revelation of a person's actual character or motives after a period of calculated misdirection.

---

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.