Cry Wolf definition

Etymology

From the fable The Boy Who Cried Wolf, where a little boy amuses himself by crying "wolf" to see the panic he causes in the community, but consequently does not get help when a real wolf appears.

Verb

To raise a false alarm; to constantly warn others about an imagined threat, thereby failing to get assistance when a real threat appears.

The politicians would cry wolf at the slightest provocation so when the real threat appeared no one believed them.

Quotations

1907, H. G. Wells, The War in the Air, chapter II, section 4

The newspaper placards that had cried "wolf!" so often, cried "wolf!" now in vain.
1919, H. L. Mencken, The American Language, chapter 5

...and the critical sense of the professors counts for little, for they cry wolf too often...
1983, Ronald Reagan, Presidential Radio Address - 15 October, 1983

...those who created the worst economic mess in postwar history should be the last people crying wolf 1,000 days into this administration...