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one-hit wonder

American  
[wuhn-hit wuhn-der] / ˈwʌnˌhɪt ˈwʌn dər /

noun

one-hit wonders plural
  1. a person or group, especially a musical artist or band, known only for a single successful work, with their other work remaining largely unknown.

  2. a single successful work, especially a song, that is the only thing a person or group is known for.


Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

But it could turn into a one-hit wonder as breaking isn’t included in the 2028 program.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 9, 2024

No. 1 — for years afterward he operated at a lower public profile, tagged by some as a one-hit wonder.

From New York Times Jun. 18, 2024

Critics deemed the rapper a one-hit wonder but her ability to home in on cultural moments with her catchy, female-centered rap shows us that Ice Spice is here to stay.

From Salon Oct. 5, 2023

Some critics wrote the band off as a one-hit wonder, but Smash Mouth proved them wrong with their second album Astro Lounge in 1999.

From BBC Sep. 4, 2023

What gives exercise the edge is that it’s not a one-hit wonder.

From Slate May 20, 2023

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