one-horse

American

[wuhn-hawrs, -hohrs] / ˈwʌnˈhɔrs, -ˈhoʊrs /

adjective

using or having only a single horse.

a one-horse carriage.
small and unimportant; limited.

a one-horse town.

one-horse British

adjective

drawn by or using one horse
informal (prenominal) small or obscure

a one-horse town

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of one-horse

First recorded in 1740–50

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:

one-horse

The Dodgers couldn’t make this a one-horse race.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 1, 2025

As a child in a "one-horse town in South Carolina," Smalls was drawn to Shakespeare and prose, spending time in his mother’s rose garden, despite the skepticism of those around him.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025

"Things can change really quickly, but as of now it's a one-horse or two-horse race for the Grand Slams."

From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2025

City’s run of success bares comparison to the likes of Germany where Bayern Munich had turned the Bundesliga into a one-horse race until its 11-year winning streak was ended by Bayer Leverkusen this season.

From Seattle Times ● May 20, 2024

The problem with living in a one-horse town like Chokecherry is you can’t get away with anything.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023