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bad egg

(literal) An egg that has gone bad; a rotten egg.

ˈbæd ɛɡCurrent163 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026+ Add a definition
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UK
#1·Apr 27, 2026UK

(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
Cluster: approval
Heard in the wild
  • “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
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UK
#2·Apr 27, 2026UK

(Britain, US, idiomatic) Someone whose behaviour is reprehensible or irresponsible; a rogue.

Origin: An allusion to an egg that has gone bad or turned rotten. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents

"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.

For ESL learners

"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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