Idiom
you can't judge a book by its cover
Meaning
It is not possible to make reliable judgments about things or people by considering external appearances alone.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“Don't judge a book by its cover when meeting new people.”
“You can't judge a book by its cover when you shop at thrift stores.”
“That fruit looks strange, but remember you can't judge a book by its cover.”
“The restaurant looks plain from the street, but you can't judge a book by its cover because the food is amazing.”
“The old car looks like a total wreck, but you can't judge a book by its cover because the engine runs perfectly.”
“She seems very quiet and shy in meetings, but you can't judge a book by its cover since she is a bold leader.”
“The hotel lobby is dark and messy, but you can't judge a book by its cover because the rooms are actually clean and modern.”
“Although the candidate appeared nervous and unpolished during the interview, the manager remembered that you can't judge a book by its cover and hired him for his brilliant technical skills.”
Examples
simple
“Don't judge a book by its cover when meeting new people.”
“You can't judge a book by its cover when you shop at thrift stores.”
“That fruit looks strange, but remember you can't judge a book by its cover.”
contextual
“The restaurant looks plain from the street, but you can't judge a book by its cover because the food is amazing.”
“The old car looks like a total wreck, but you can't judge a book by its cover because the engine runs perfectly.”
“She seems very quiet and shy in meetings, but you can't judge a book by its cover since she is a bold leader.”
“The hotel lobby is dark and messy, but you can't judge a book by its cover because the rooms are actually clean and modern.”
complex
“Although the candidate appeared nervous and unpolished during the interview, the manager remembered that you can't judge a book by its cover and hired him for his brilliant technical skills.”
Origin
The phrase in its modern form dates from the mid-20th century; the underlying idea appears earlier, e.g. in George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss (1860).
Key words
Related idioms
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated