How do you use "Snake in the grass" in a sentence?

Watch out for him—he's a snake in the grass. She turned out to be a snake in the grass. There's a snake in the grass somewhere.

Snake in the grass

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

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Meaning: A treacherous person; a hidden enemy pretending to be a friend.

阴险的人；伪装成朋友的隐藏敌人。

Una persona traicionera; un enemigo oculto que finge ser amigo.

裏切り者、友人のふりをした隠れた敵。

배신자; 친구인 척하는 숨겨진 적.

A 'snake in the grass' is a deceitful person who hides their malicious intent—appearing harmless while planning betrayal. The image of a hidden snake captures concealed danger.

'Snake in the grass（草丛中的蛇）'是指隐藏恶意的奸诈之人——表面无害，暗中策划背叛。隐藏在草丛中的蛇的形象恰好体现了暗藏的危险。

Una 'snake in the grass' (serpiente en la hierba) es una persona engañosa que oculta sus intenciones maliciosas — aparenta ser inofensiva mientras planea una traición. La imagen de una serpiente oculta captura el peligro disimulado.

「スネーク・イン・ザ・グラス（草むらの蛇）」は悪意を隠す人—無害を装いながら裏切りを企む人です。隠れた蛇のイメージが隠された危険を表しています。

'풀숲의 뱀(snake in the grass)'은 악의를 숨기고 무해한 척하면서 배신을 계획하는 사기꾼을 뜻합니다. 숨어 있는 뱀의 이미지가 감춰진 위험을 잘 나타냅니다.

Examples

Watch out for him—he's a snake in the grass.
小心他——他是笑里藏刀的人。
Cuidado con él, es una serpiente en la hierba.
彼には気をつけて—草むらの蛇だよ。
그를 조심해—풀숲의 뱀이야.
She turned out to be a snake in the grass.
她原来是个暗中使坏的人。
Resultó ser una serpiente en la hierba.
彼女は実は裏切り者だった。
그녀는 결국 배신자였다.
There's a snake in the grass somewhere.
暗处有个奸细。
Hay una serpiente en la hierba en algún sitio.
どこかに裏切り者がいる。
어딘가에 배신자가 있다.

Pronunciation

/sneɪk ɪn ðə ɡrɑːs/

Usage Guide

Context: betrayal, deception, warning

Tone: warning, bitter

✓ Do Say

Snake in the grass
草丛中的蛇——阴险小人
serpiente en la hierba
草むらの蛇 — 裏切り者
뒤통수치는 사람
A snake in the grass
一条草丛中的蛇
una serpiente en la hierba
裏切り者
등 뒤의 뱀 같은 놈

Common Mistakes

About hidden enemies, not just any enemy

Origin & History

From Virgil's Eclogues (37 BC): 'latet anguis in herba' (a snake lurks in the grass). The hidden danger of an unseen snake became a metaphor for concealed enemies.

Etymology: From Virgil's Eclogues: hidden snake = hidden enemy

First recorded: Classical Latin, English 17th century

Cultural Context

Era: Classical origin, 17th century English

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Virgil; Universal expression

Regional notes: Classical origin, global usage.

Variations

Snake in the grassA snake in the grass