bad apple

== English == === Etymology === From the proverb “one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch” (or a variant thereof). === Pronunciation === === Noun === bad apple (plural bad apples) (idiomatic, often in the plural) A person who is not wholesome, honest, or trustworthy, especially one who has an adverse influence on others. Synonyms: rotten apple, bad seed Near-synonym: bad egg ==== Derived terms ==== bad appling ==== Related terms ==== there's a rotten apple in every barrel ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== === Further reading === “bad apple”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.