Meanings
proverb
- Debased coinage (with low levels of precious metals) replaces purer coinage (with higher levels of precious metals).
- People hoard good currency and other assets and attempt to pass inferior currency and assets to others in exchange.
- figurativelyOvervalued mediocre talent replaces undervalued real talent.
Origin
Traditional sentiment, both in literal and metaphorical sense, dating to ancient works such as Aristophanes' The Frogs, and appearing in various forms in various Islamic and European medieval texts.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 劣幣驅逐良幣 /劣币驱逐良币, 劣幣驅逐良幣 /劣币驱逐良币
- 劣幣驅逐良幣 /劣币驱逐良币 (lièbì qūzhú liángbì)debased coinage replaces purer coinage
- 劣幣驅逐良幣 /劣币驱逐良币 (lièbì qūzhú liángbì)mediocre talent drives away real talent
Czech špatné peníze vytlačují dobré
- špatné peníze vytlačují dobrédebased coinage replaces purer coinage
Japanese 悪貨は良貨を駆逐する
- 悪貨は良貨を駆逐する (akuka wa ryōka o kuchiku suru)debased coinage replaces purer coinage
Korean 악화가 양화를 구축한다
- 악화가 양화를 구축한다 (akhwa-ga yanghwa-reul guchuk-handa)debased coinage replaces purer coinage
Polish zły pieniądz zastępuje dobry, utalentowani ludzie są niedoceniani
- zły pieniądz zastępuje dobrydebased coinage replaces purer coinage
- utalentowani ludzie są niedocenianimediocre talent drives away real talent
Cite this entry
APA
bad money drives out good. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bad%20money%20drives%20out%20good
MLA
“bad money drives out good.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bad%20money%20drives%20out%20good. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bad money drives out good,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bad%20money%20drives%20out%20good.
Source: bad money drives out good on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.