fly in the ointment

1. A drawback, especially one that was not at first apparent: “Sharon's lack of experience turned out to be the fly in the ointment when she applied for the job.”

Idioms and Phrases

A drawback or detrimental factor. For example, The new library is wonderful but there's a fly in the ointment: their catalog isn't complete yet . This term probably alludes to a biblical proverb (Ecclesiastes 10:1): “Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour.” [c. 1600]

Related Words

• defect
• deficiency
• difficulty
• disadvantage
• failing
• fault
• flaw
• hindrance
• hitch
• impediment
• imperfection
• inconvenience
• obstacle
• shortcoming
• snag
• stumbling block
• weakness