flea market

American  

noun

1. a market, often outdoors, consisting of a number of individual stalls selling old or used articles, curios and antiques, cut-rate merchandise, etc.

---

flea market British  

noun

1. an open-air market selling cheap and often second-hand goods

---

flea market Idioms  

1. A market, usually held outdoors, where used goods and antiques are sold. For example, We picked up half of our furniture at flea markets. The term is a direct translation of the French marché aux puces and presumably implies that some of the used clothes and furniture might be flea-infested. [1920s]

---

Other Word Forms

• flea-marketeer noun
• flea-marketer noun

Etymology

Origin of flea market

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does flea-market compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• swap meet vs. flea market

Example Sentences

Sick City Records has several fundraisers and flea market pop-ups planned before the end of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

She got hers from a flea market, but it has becoming ever easier to buy knockoff furniture and home goods online.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

We go somewhere, maybe a crowded house party or a flea market, and someone strikes up a conversation.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 8, 2025

On the agenda is hitting up his favorite flea market, enjoying a seafood brunch at Catch and sober bar hopping in West Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 4, 2025

General Iqbal Taheri I sold Baba’s VW bus and, to this day, I have not gone back to the flea market.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini