Jump to:

• All that glitters is not gold
  All that glitters is not gold

  Things that appear on the surface to be of great value may be quite worthless.
• all that glitters is not gold
  all that glitters is not gold

  Something attractive is not always what it seems, as in This house is really beautiful, but a close look will show dry rot near the foundation—all that glitters is not gold. Aesop stated the same idea in two of his fables (c. 600 b.c.), and a version close to the current wording appeared in 1175.

All that glitters is not gold

Cultural  

1. Things that appear on the surface to be of great value may be quite worthless.

---

all that glitters is not gold Idioms  

1. Something attractive is not always what it seems, as in This house is really beautiful, but a close look will show dry rot near the foundation—all that glitters is not gold. Aesop stated the same idea in two of his fables (c. 600 b.c.), and a version close to the current wording appeared in 1175.

---

Example Sentences

Adams acknowledged that while all that glitters is not gold, the Rams’ foundation under McVay and their personnel and mindset give them an opportunity to be a championship-caliber team.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2025

But the New York attorney general indicated soon after that all that glitters is not gold.

From Salon • Apr. 10, 2024

While you may not always see them strike a deal, you’re always guaranteed a chuckle and a reminder that all that glitters is not gold.

From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2024

In the Hollywood world of make-believe all that glitters is not gold.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2023

As all that glitters is not gold, sir, Read and ponder what I’ve told, sir.

From Southern War Songs Camp-Fire, Patriotic and Sentimental by Various