bupkis

American  

[buhp-kuhs, buhp-kis] / ˈbʌp kəs, ˈbʌpˌkɪs /

Also bupkes, or bubkes

noun

1. nothing.

   They've told us bupkis—we're going to have to find out what's going on for ourselves.

2. very little; the smallest amount.

   It was a revolutionary piece of technology, and yet the inventor sold it for bupkis.

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Etymology

Origin of bupkis

First recorded in 1935–40; from Yiddish bobkes, plural of bobke “piece of goat excrement, worthless thing,” literally “little bean,” from Slavic, equivalent to Polish bób “broad bean” + -ke, diminutive suffix; see also bean ( def. )

Example Sentences

So charging $1 on a $98 barrel is bupkis to oil producers and consumers, while it adds up to real money over time for the Iranians.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

The group had reportedly reached out to 30 prospective candidates, and came up with bupkis.

From Slate • Apr. 6, 2024

The remaining contestants find out which Joe’s got bank and which Joe’s got bupkis in the season finale of “Joe Millionaire: For Richer or Poorer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2022

As Harris says in the film, "Movies are bupkis."

From Salon • Jul. 21, 2020

How nice it would be to wake up on publication day and discover that Jared Kushner had mended an age-old hatred, leaving me with bupkis to talk about on NPR?

From Washington Post • Nov. 13, 2017