pipsqueak

American

[pip-skweek] / ˈpɪpˌskwik /

noun

Informal.

a contemptibly small or unimportant person; a twerp.

pipsqueak British

/ ˈpɪpˌskwiːk /

noun

informal a person or thing that is insignificant or contemptible

"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 pipsqueak

First recorded in 1895–1900; pip ⁴ + squeak

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.

Ronson is there to DJ for Prince, the Purple pipsqueak of funk.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2025

Shortly thereafter, Drake dropped "Push Ups," which explicitly criticized Lamar's height, referring to him as a "pipsqueak."

From Salon • May 7, 2024

“They didn’t want some pipsqueak like me coming in.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2023

Despite its macho reputation, the Y chromosome is a pipsqueak, carrying a mere 71 genes—less than one-tenth as many as the X chromosome.

From Science Magazine • Jul. 13, 2022

"This little pipsqueak is trying to frighten us, but he has got a lot to learn about lying. Isn't that right, Jay?"

From "Born Behind Bars" by Padma Venkatraman

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