one bad apple can spoil the barrel
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
One bad person or element can have a harmful influence on many others.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Một người hoặc yếu tố xấu có thể gây ảnh hưởng có hại đến nhiều người khác
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
One of our kittens started chewing on the chair the other day and now they're all doing it! Just goes to show that one bad apple can spoil the barrel.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “one bad apple can spoil the barrel” mean?
One bad person or element can have a harmful influence on many others.
Is “one bad apple can spoil the barrel” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.