View synonyms for

bad egg

noun

a person who is bad, dishonest, or unreliable; a good-for-nothing:
a bad egg who had served several years in prison.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of bad egg¹

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

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Idioms and Phrases

An individual who turns out to be rotten, as in You can't trust him—he's simply a bad egg . Although egg had been used for various kinds of person (young, good, bad) since Shakespeare's day, this transfer of a seemingly wholesome food that, when opened, turns out to be rotten took place only in the mid-1800s. An early definition appeared in The Atheneum of 1864: “A bad egg ... a fellow who had not proved to be as good as his promise.” In contrast, the schoolyard saying Last one in is a rotten egg does not have any special significance other than as a way of urging others to join an activity, jump in the water, or the like. Also see good egg .

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Compare Meanings

How does bad egg compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

good egg vs. bad egg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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