penny-ante

[pen-ee-an-tee]

See more synonyms for penny-ante on Thesaurus.com

adjective Informal.

involving a trifling sum of money; small in amount: a penny-ante investment.
inconsiderable; minor; small-time.

Origin of penny-ante

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35

penny ante

noun

Cards. a game of poker in which the ante or basic bet is one cent.
Informal. any business arrangement or transaction involving a trifling or paltry sum of money.

Origin of penny ante

An Americanism dating back to 1850–55

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for penny-ante

lesser, narrow-minded, frivolous, minor, little, slight, scratch, shallow, inessential, lower, base, peanut, light, small, subordinate, secondary, junior, inferior, trifling, shoestring

Examples from the Web for penny-ante

Contemporary Examples of penny-ante

No, not the penny-ante conspiracy Hillary Clinton first floated back in the 90s.
The Kremlin’s Favorite Anti-Gay Hate Group is Coming to Utah
Jay Michaelson
July 19, 2014
He should stop wasting his time taunting Rick Perry with penny-ante bets and put his lucre to good use.
Eight Ways Mitt Romney Could Beat Newt Gingrich
Michelle Cottle
December 16, 2011

Historical Examples of penny-ante

Its nothing but penny-ante, with a ten-cent limit; just enough to make it interesting, you know.
The New Boys at Oakdale
Morgan Scott
He was lured into a game of penny-ante poker, which assumed, before the game was finished, extensive proportions.
Hands Up; or Thirty-Five Years of Detective Life in the Mountains and on the Plains
D. J. Cook

Word Origin and History for penny-ante

adj.

"cheap, trivial," 1935; extended from use in reference to poker played for insignificant stakes (1855), from penny + ante.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper