chump change

American  

noun

1. Slang. a small or insignificant amount of money.

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chump change Idioms  

1. A trivial sum of money, a trivial matter. For example, Dave was sick of working for chump change; he wanted a decent salary, or Don't put that on the agenda; it's chump change. This expression uses chump in the sense of “a fool or sucker who should be ignored.” [Slang; 1960s] Also see chicken feed.

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Etymology

Origin of chump change

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chump change

His deferred contracts are chump change compared to Shohei Ohtani’s deal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026

That’s not chump change — and it could require pulling back on discretionary spending such as dining out or travel, or redirecting any future raises, bonuses or tax refunds toward your retirement fund.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

“People were mortified, and continue to be mortified, by the fact that we have this situation that’s unfolding, this new fire paradigm, and the forest service’s just getting chump change to address it,” he said.

From New York Times ● Jun. 9, 2023

This isn’t chump change, Jeffrey Brown of Redmond indicated.

From Seattle Times ● May 12, 2023

I was a pro at filling out a 1040EZ back when I got paid chump change at Baskin-Robbins.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi