Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

bad egg

idiom

/bæd ɛɡ/

Definition

A person who is dishonest or a troublemaker.

Examples

Even though everyone else was working hard, Jake was a bad egg who never contributed to the team.
It’s hard to believe she would cheat during the exam; I thought she was a good kid, not a bad egg.

Meaning

The term ‘bad egg’ is often used to describe someone who cannot be trusted, typically because they have a history of causing problems or behaving irresponsibly.