Definition

1. Noun:
   • A bad or dishonest person: An individual who behaves in an immoral, untrustworthy, or corrupt manner. This term is often used to describe someone who has proven to be a negative influence or who has committed disreputable acts.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Be careful who you trust; he's known to be a bad egg.
  • The company fired him after they discovered he was a bad egg who had been embezzling funds.
  • Despite his charming exterior, everyone in town knew he was a rotten, no-good bad egg.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in a collective or social context to label someone whose character flaws have become apparent to a group.
  • The club had to ask him to leave; he was a bad egg causing trouble for everyone.
• It can imply a person who "spoils" or negatively impacts a situation or group, much like a literal rotten egg spoils a batch.

Variants and Related Words

• Rotten egg (n): A very similar informal term for a bad or despicable person.
  • That guy is a real rotten egg.
• The term originates from the literal idea that one spoiled egg can ruin the others it is stored with, metaphorically applied to people.

Synonyms

• Scoundrel: A dishonest or unscrupulous person.
• Rogue: A deceitful or unprincipled person.
• Good-for-nothing: A person who is lazy or worthless.

Related Idioms

• While "bad egg" is itself an idiomatic expression, it is related to the broader metaphor of eggs representing people or things in a batch.
  • A good egg: (Informal) A kind, dependable, or trustworthy person. This is the direct positive counterpart.

    • Don't worry about him; he's a good egg.

Noun

1. (old-fashioned slang) a bad person