Meanings
plural flies in the ointment
- idiomaticSomething (especially a minor thing) which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant; a nuisance or problem; a disagreeable or unpleasant detail.
Our gods are the unaccountable, uncontainable facts, the flies in the ointment.
1973, David Wevill, “Where the Arrow Falls”, in Other Names for the Heart: New and Selected Poems 1964–1984, Toronto, Ont.: Exile Editions, published 1985, →ISBN, page 635 more examples
And yet, in truth, he was not then a child of God. His pride and uncharitableness, were flies in the ointment.
1807, [Edward Wesley Hare], “Letter V”, in Genuine Methodism Acquitted, and Spurious Methodism Condemned; […] , Rochdale, Lancashire: […] J. Hartley; […], →OCLC, paragraph 5, page 75A Poor Relation—is the most irrelevant thing in nature,— […] —a fly in your ointment,—a mote in your eye,— […] —the ounce of sour in a pound of sweet.
[1833, Elia [pseudonym; Charles Lamb], “Poor Relations”, in The Last Essays of Elia. […], London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, page 10Not one moment are we to be indolently reconciled to this ever-haunting imperfection of our life-work; but the work itself must be patiently surveyed in its true character. Nothing is gained by pretending there are no flies in the ointment.
1884 March, “Flies in the Ointment”, in T[homas] De Witt Talmage, editor, Frank Leslie’s Sunday Magazine, volume XV, number 3, New York, N.Y.: Frank Leslie’s Publishing House, […], →OCLC, page 302, column 2Nothing, of course, in this world is perfect; and, rosy as were the glasses through which Archie looked on his new surroundings, he had to admit that there was one flaw, one fly in the ointment, one individual caterpillar in the salad.
1920 March – 1921 February, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, “Work Wanted”, in Indiscretions of Archie, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published 1921, →OCLC, page 28Bummy Davis is no longer a pugilist. Willie is very aware of this fact and lets Johnny Attell know that there is a fly in the ointment, and Johnny, who is a very shrewd article, has his chauffeur drive him to Bradford Street so he can change the kid's mind.
2003, Ron Ross, Bummy Davis vs. Murder, Inc.: The Rise and Fall of the Jewish Mafia and an Ill-fated Prizefighter, New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, page 287Synonyms: turd in the punchbowl, worm in the apple, fly in the buttermilk
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomething (especially a minor thing) which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant; a nuisance or problem; a disagreeable or unpleasant detail.
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.”
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 金玉其外，敗絮其中 /金玉其外, 败絮其中
- 金玉其外，敗絮其中 /金玉其外something which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- 败絮其中 (jīnyù qíwài, bàixù qízhōng)something which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Czech vada na kráse
- vada na krásesomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Danish hår i suppen
- hår i suppensomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Dutch haar in de boter
- haar in de botersomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Finnish riesa, kauneusvirhe (aesthetically)
- riesasomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- kauneusvirhe (aesthetically)something which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- kanto kaskessasomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- mutka matkassasomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
French couille dans le pâté, couille dans le potage
- couille dans le pâtésomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- couille dans le potagesomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- hicsomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- ossomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- problèmesomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
German Haar in der Suppe
- Haar in der Suppesomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Polish łyżka dziegciu w beczce miodu
- łyżka dziegciu w beczce miodusomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Portuguese jato de água fria
- jato de água friasomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Spanish jarro de agua fría
- jarro de agua fríasomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Swedish smolk i glädjebägaren, (en droppe) malört i glädjebägaren
- smolk i glädjebägarensomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
- (en droppe) malört i glädjebägarensomething which ruins or spoils everything else, or makes it less pleasant
Cite this entry
fly in the ointment. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fly%20in%20the%20ointment
“fly in the ointment.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fly%20in%20the%20ointment. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “fly in the ointment,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/fly%20in%20the%20ointment.
Source: fly in the ointment on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.