bad apple

noun

Informal.

1. a discontented, troublemaking, or dishonest person.

   In any group of average citizens there are bound to be a few bad apples.

Word History and Origins

Origin of bad apple¹

From the proverb “one bad apple spoils the barrel”

Example Sentences

Understanding police brutality as a public health problem requires looking beyond the notion of “one bad apple,” and instead examining how the criminal justice system perpetuates systemic disempowerment that has serious health consequences.

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Rolfe was "not a case of one bad apple", she said, finding that racist language and behaviour was "normalised within the Alice Springs police station".

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Josh Duggar wasn't just one bad apple in the Quiverfull community.

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My husband is with me in kicking Mia out and telling his relatives to stuff it but thinks Mia was just one bad apple and argues that our other tenants worked out pretty well.

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One prominent commentator, for example, wrote about Trump’s most recent threats while entirely ignoring his "bad apple" analogy.

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