bad apple

noun Informal.

a discontented, troublemaking, or dishonest person: In any group of average citizens there are bound to be a few bad apples.

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Nearby words

baculitic, baculum, bacău, bad, bad actor, bad apple, bad bank, bad blood, bad breath, bad cholesterol, bad conduct discharge

Origin of bad apple

from the proverb “one bad apple spoils the barrel”

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019