What does ‘one bad apple spoils the bunch’ mean?
To “one bad apple spoils the bunch” means to one negative element can ruin the whole group. The proverb is old — Chaucer uses a similar image in the 14th century — and Brewer's records it in traditional form.
Origin
- The proverb is old — Chaucer uses a similar image in the 14th century — and Brewer's records it in traditional form.
How to use it
- Common in discussions of group behaviour.
- Example: It's just one manager, but one bad apple spoils the bunch.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.