all bark and no bite

English

Alternative forms

• all bark but no bite

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Adjective

all bark and no bite (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Full of big talk but lacking action, power, or substance; pretentious.
2. (idiomatic) Often making cutting remarks, but having a gentle personality underneath.
3. (idiomatic) Aggressive but never combative.

Translations

full of big talk

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 光打雷，不下雨。, 光说不做 (zh) (guāngshuōbùzuò)

• Finnish: paljon porua, vähän villoja
• French: grande gueule (fr)
• Greek: όλο λόγια (ólo lógia)
• Hebrew: כלב נובח אינו נושך (a dog that barks, does not bite)
• Italian: tutto fumo e niente arrosto
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Khmer: ឆ្កែព្រុសមិនដែលខាំ (chkaepruhmɨndaelkham)
• Polish: krowa, która dużo ryczy, mało mleka daje (pl) (a cow that moos much, gives little milk)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: mucho ruido y pocas nueces
• Swedish: stor i orden men liten på jorden

making cutting remarks, but having a gentle personality underneath

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 光说不做 (guāngshuōbùzuò)

• Finnish: kova päältä, pehmeä sisältä
• Greek: σκυλί που γαβγίζει δεν δαγκώνει (skylí pou gavgízei den dagkónei), σκύλος που γαβγίζει δεν δαγκώνει (skýlos pou gavgízei den dagkónei)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Italian: cane che abbaia non morde
• Khmer: បានតែព្រុស (baantaepruh)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: perro ladrador, poco mordedor