Rotten to the core means that a group is completely dishonest, immoral, or corrupt at its deepest foundation.
Literal Origin: The phrase comes from a piece of fruit like an apple that is decayed and ruined all the way to its center.
Figurative Use: Applied to people, it means their bad behavior or lack of ethics is not just a surface mistake, but a deep part of who they are.
Common Targets: It is frequently used to describe corrupt agents, or deeply dishonest individuals.
He may have seemed okay at first, but his actions showed he was rotten to the core.
Many citizens believe these Republicans rotten to the core after the bribery scandals.
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