there's a rotten apple in every barrel
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: every barrel has a rotten apple
Meaning · English
There is a bad person in any group.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “there's a rotten apple in every barrel” mean?
There is a bad person in any group.
Is “there's a rotten apple in every barrel” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.