What does ‘all that glitters is not gold’ mean?
To “all that glitters is not gold” means to appearances can deceive. Brewer's records the phrase from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (II.vii); the sentiment is older, appearing in Chaucer.
Origin
- Brewer's records the phrase from Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (II.vii); the sentiment is older, appearing in Chaucer.
How to use it
- Standard caution against surface appeal.
- Example: The deal looks great, but all that glitters is not gold.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.