nickel-and-dime

American  

[nik-uhl-uhn-dahym] / ˈnɪk əl ənˈdaɪm /

adjective

1. of little or no importance; trivial; petty.

   a nickel-and-dime business that soon folded.

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verb (used with object)

nickel-and-dimed, nickeled-and-dimed, nickel-and-diming, nickeling-and-diming

1. to expose to financial hardship or bankruptcy by the accumulation of small expenses, bills, etc..

   We're being nickel-and-dimed to death by these small weekly expenses.

2. to hinder, annoy, or harass with trivialities or nonessentials.

   to be nickeled-and-dimed by petty criticisms.

Etymology

Origin of nickel-and-dime

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The auditor said he isn’t out to nickel and dime anyone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Airlines, especially want to nickel and dime for every little thing.

From Slate • Aug. 18, 2025

Airlines nickel and dime us while providing worse service, but what are we going to do—not fly?

From Slate • Dec. 20, 2023

The loss of Witherspoon could call on Artie Burns and/or Coby Bryant to play some in nickel and dime situations.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 16, 2023

Then he tried to focus his eyes so that he could read the mottoes on the nickel and dime.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Related Words

• frivolous
• lesser
• minor
• narrow-minded