# bad penny

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bad-penny
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A person or thing which is unpleasant, disreputable, or otherwise unwanted, especially one which repeatedly appears at inopportune times.

## Examples

- He always shows up like a bad penny when I am busy.
- I thought I had seen the last of that salesman, but he turned up like a bad penny again today.
- Just as the group finally achieved a sense of harmony, the disgraced former leader returned like a bad penny to disrupt their progress.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.