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small fry. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
small fry, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
small fry in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
small fry you have here. The definition of the word
small fry will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
small fry, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
small + fry, first use appears c. 1577, in the publications of John Dee.
Pronunciation
Noun
small fry (plural small fry or small fries)
- One or more small or immature fish.
- (informal) One or more children.
- (idiomatic) One or more relatively small and insignificant individuals or things of relatively little consequence, importance, or value.
- Synonyms: small potatoes, minnow, nobody, no one
- Antonym: big fish
The police did not arrest the drug dealer since he was small fry compared to his boss.
These slot machines are just the small fry. The big games are in the back room.
Translations
things or people of little importance
Further reading
- “small fry”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
- “small fry”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
- “small fry” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.
- “small fry”, in Collins English Dictionary.