one-hit wonder
Americannoun
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a person or group, especially a musical artist or band, known only for a single successful work, with their other work remaining largely unknown.
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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.
The runaway success of Messy may have eclipsed her other songs, but she shouldn't be seen as a one-hit wonder.
From BBC ● Mar. 5, 2026
He only does one routine, but Stephen Nedoroscik is no one-hit wonder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 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
What gives exercise the edge is that it’s not a one-hit wonder.
From Slate ● May 20, 2023
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
