fly in the ointment
/ˈflaɪ ən ði ˈɔɪn(t)m(ə)nt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.97 in modern English
27
Scrabble Score
16
Letters
2
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
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.
Example Sentences
- "And yet, in truth, he was not then a child of God. His pride and uncharitableness, were flies in the ointment."
- "A 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."
- "Not 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."
- "Nothing, 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."
- "Our gods are the unaccountable, uncontainable facts, the flies in the ointment."
- "Bummy 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."
Etymology
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.”
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈflaɪ ən ði ˈɔɪn(t)m(ə)nt/
- British English: /ˈflaɪ ɪn ði ˈɔɪntm(ə)nt/