Fly in the Ointment

What Does "Fly in the Ointment" Mean?

"Fly in the ointment" is an English idiom. It means "a small problem or flaw in an overall pleasant situation."

Here are three examples of the idiom "fly in the ointment" used in a sentence:

The only fly in the ointment during our vacation was the bad weather on the last day.
Their product is excellent, but the poor customer service is a fly in the ointment.
Everything was going well, but the unexpected expense was the fly in the ointment.

You now know what "fly in the ointment" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!

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