fly in the ointment

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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

fly in the ointment

/ˈflaɪ ɪn ði ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/ UK
/ˈflaɪ ən ði ˈɔɪn(t)m(ə)nt/ US

Where it comes from

A reference to Ecclesiastes 10:1 in the Bible (King James Version; spelling modernized): “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doeth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour.”

noun flies in the ointment

idiomatic Something (especially a minor thing) which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant; a nuisance or problem; a disagreeable or unpleasant detail. And yet, in truth, he was not then a child of God. His pride and uncharitableness, were flies in the ointment.
Similar: turd in the punchbowl, worm in the apple, fly in the buttermilk

Translations

Every language

noun something which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant

Español	jarro de agua fría
中文	金玉其外，敗絮其中 /金玉其外, 败絮其中 jīnyù qíwài, bàixù qízhōng
Português	jato de água fria
Français	couille dans le pâté, couille dans le potage, hic, os, problème
Deutsch	Haar in der Suppe

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Cite this

MLA

"fly in the ointment." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/fly%20in%20the%20ointment. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

fly in the ointment. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/fly%20in%20the%20ointment

Chicago

"fly in the ointment." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/fly%20in%20the%20ointment.

BibTeX

@misc{fly_in_the_ointment_2026,
  title = {fly in the ointment},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/fly%20in%20the%20ointment},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}