# something is rotten in the state of Denmark

> English word · Phrase

## Definitions
1. Something is not right, seriously amiss, especially when leading to suspicion of motive.

## Etymology
A line spoken by Marcellus in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act I, scene iv.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/something-is-rotten-in-the-state-of-denmark