flea market

American  

noun

• flea markets
  plural

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

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flea market British  

noun

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

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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]

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• flea-marketeer
  noun
• flea-marketer
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• flea markets
  plural

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

See Examples For:

flea market

Visiting the Pochaina flea market 10 days after the Russian attack, AFP journalists could still smell the mix of burnt metal and plastic hanging in the air.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

At the time, campaigns were a sideline for Reilly, who supported himself selling doodads and other salvaged wares in a movable flea market he operated on Fisherman’s Wharf.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026

If I were spinning at a bar, club or flea market, I’d likely ease into my set with more chill songs before getting into bangers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 15, 2026

“The hardest part of it is going to a flea market, secondhand stores, an estate sale or even just going behind a store to see what people throw away.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026

In between all of this, there was another trip to the flea market, but Genie missed out on this one.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds