Meanings
alternative something is rotten in Denmark · alternative there is something rotten in the state of Denmark
- idiomaticSomething is not right, seriously amiss, especially when leading to suspicion of motive.
If the authorities knew about the problems and chose not to prevent them, then clearly something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
3 more examples
Something is rotten in the ſtate of Denmarke.
[c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], signature C3, versoIf divided roughly, two-thirds of them work in desk jobs while one-third are involved in field work. When one gets that sort of proportion one begins to think, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark”.
1992 November 18, Lord Mackie of Benshie, “World Food Situation”, in parliamentary debates (Lords Chamber), volume 540, column 661My belief that something is rotten in the State of Denmark is bred by recent developments, both political and cultural. I feel that the feminist movement is now more on the defensive than the offensive, […]
2016, Robin Morgan, editor, Sisterhood Is Global […] , Open Road Media, →ISBN
Origin
A line spoken by Marcellus in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, scene iv.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian има нещо гнило в Дания
- има нещо гнило в Дания (ima nešto gnilo v Danija)Hamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Czech je cosi shnilého ve státě dánském, je něco shnilého ve státě dánském
- je cosi shnilého ve státě dánskémHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
- je něco shnilého ve státě dánskémHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Danish der er noget råddent i Danmark
- der er noget råddent i DanmarkHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Esperanto malbona io estas en Danujo
- malbona io estas en DanujoHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Finnish on jotain mätää Tanskanmaalla
- on jotain mätää TanskanmaallaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
French il y a quelque chose de pourri au royaume du Danemark, il y a quelque chose de pourri au royaume de Danemark
- il y a quelque chose de pourri au royaume du DanemarkHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
- il y a quelque chose de pourri au royaume de DanemarkHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
German etwas ist faul im Staate Dänemark
- etwas ist faul im Staate DänemarkHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Greek κάτι σάπιο υπάρχει στο βασίλειο της Δανιμαρκίας
- κάτι σάπιο υπάρχει στο βασίλειο της Δανιμαρκίας (káti sápio ypárchei sto vasíleio tis Danimarkías)Hamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Hebrew משהו רקוב בממלכת דנמרק
- משהו רקוב בממלכת דנמרקHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Hungarian valami bűzlik Dániában
- valami bűzlik DániábanHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Italian c'è del marcio nel regno di Danimarca, c'è del marcio in Danimarca
- c'è del marcio nel regno di DanimarcaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
- c'è del marcio in DanimarcaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Norwegian det er noe råttent i kongeriket Danmark
- det er noe råttent i kongeriket DanmarkHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Polish źle się dzieje w państwie duńskim
- źle się dzieje w państwie duńskimHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Portuguese há algo de podre no reino da Dinamarca
- há algo de podre no reino da DinamarcaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Romanian ceva e putred în Danemarca
- ceva e putred în DanemarcaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Russian нела́дно что́-то в да́тском короле́встве
- нела́дно что́-то в да́тском короле́встве (neládno štó-to v dátskom korolévstve)Hamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Spanish algo está podrido en el estado de Dinamarca, algo huele a podrido en Dinamarca
- algo está podrido en el estado de DinamarcaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
- algo huele a podrido en DinamarcaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Swedish något är ruttet i konungariket Danmark, något är ruttet
- något är ruttet i konungariket DanmarkHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
- något är ruttetHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
- i danska staten någonting är ruttetHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Turkish çürümüş bir şeyler var şu Danimarka krallığında
- çürümüş bir şeyler var şu Danimarka krallığındaHamlet quotation, used in other contexts to mean "something is not right"
Cite this entry
something is rotten in the state of Denmark. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/something%20is%20rotten%20in%20the%20state%20of%20Denmark
“something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/something%20is%20rotten%20in%20the%20state%20of%20Denmark. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “something is rotten in the state of Denmark,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/something%20is%20rotten%20in%20the%20state%20of%20Denmark.
Source: something is rotten in the state of Denmark on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.