# fly in the ointment

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/fly-in-the-ointment
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

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.

## Examples

- The rain was the only fly in the ointment for our picnic.
- A slow internet connection is the only fly in the ointment at this office.
- His bad attitude is a fly in the ointment during our team meetings.
- The hotel was beautiful, but the noisy construction next door was a real fly in the ointment.
- The new apartment is perfect, but the lack of parking is a fly in the ointment that makes me hesitate to sign the lease.
- We planned a great party, but the fact that the cake never arrived was a disappointing fly in the ointment for the host.
- Everything about the merger seemed perfect, yet the sudden discovery of hidden debt proved to be a significant fly in the ointment.

## Origin

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.”

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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.