bad egg
(literal) An egg that has gone bad; a rotten egg.
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I did wonder at the time if my feelings were due to not having been brought up with any religion, rather than having reacted against a religious upbringing, but I think it’s more likely that I was just picking up on D…
Exactly! I don't mind if all the shards share some traits like being adventurous and whatnot, but it'd be neat if like one of them was the bad egg of the bunch
Definitions
(literal) An egg that has gone bad; a rotten egg.
My son had a drug problem and hired a bad egg as a chief accountant
“I did wonder at the time if my feelings were due to not having been brought up with any religion, rather than having reacted against a religious upbringing, but I think it’s more likely that I was just picking up on Dawkins being a bad egg”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Exactly! I don't mind if all the shards share some traits like being adventurous and whatnot, but it'd be neat if like one of them was the bad egg of the bunch”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(Britain, US, idiomatic) Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.
"bad egg" means: Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"bad egg" means: Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
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- dog egg68%
(derogatory) A worthless or contemptible thing or person.
- good egg65%
(Britain, US, idiomatic) A good person, someone to be trusted; a friend.
- fried egg60%
(literally, cooking) An egg that has been shallow-fried on one or both sides without being beaten or stirred.
- an egg's age59%
(US, slang, dated) A very long time.