fly in the ointment
informalDefinition
› a single thing or person that is spoiling a situation that could have been very positive or enjoyable: I'm looking forward to Sunday, the only fly in the ointment being the fact that I shall have to sit next to my mother-in-law.Difficult things and peoplePreventing and impeding
(Definition of fly in the ointment from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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Synonyms and related words:
- a (heavy) cross to bear idiom
- a bitter pill (to swallow) idiom
- a hard/tough nut to crack idiom
- albatross noun (PROBLEM)
- bane noun
- handful noun (DIFFICULT PERSON)
- handicap noun (DIFFICULTY)
- headache noun (DIFFICULTY)
- hiccup noun (PROBLEM)
- job noun (PROBLEM)
- labyrinth noun
- liability noun (RISK)
- life's a bitch (and then you die) idiom
- long shot noun
- maze noun (RULES/IDEAS)
- the chill wind of sth idiom
- the hard way idiom
- the rub idiom
- the sharp end noun
- thorn in your flesh/side idiom
Topic:
Difficult things and people
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