small-time

¹

[smawl-tahym]

adjective

1. of modest or insignificant size, importance, or influence.

   a small-time politician.

small time

²

noun

1. a circuit of minor theaters giving three or more shows daily.

small-time

adjective

1. informal,  insignificant; minor

   a small-time criminal

Other Word Forms

• small-timer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of small-time¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Origin of small-time²

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Idioms and Phrases

A modest or minor level of achievement, as in Her success took her out of the small time to prime-time television. This expression was originally used in vaudeville for second-rate theaters and productions. [Early 1900s] Also see big time, def. 2.

Example Sentences

The challenge is tied to the interval between computational steps: to capture rapid events such as supernova evolution, the simulation must advance in very small time increments.

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Trundling up an ungainly lift to reach a second-story balcony seems like Woody Allen’s hapless bank robber trying to tunnel his way into vaults in “Small Time Crooks.”

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But for this story, we had to be very strict because it’s very small time.

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"Miss Mone is not a successful entrepreneur, she is a small time businesswoman with a PR exposure far in excess of any actual success," he wrote.

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"Our research underscores the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, particularly in our fast-paced world in which long trips and shift work are ever so common. Even a small time shift can impact many aspects of metabolism, but it now seems that metabolic consequences of jetlag recover far more quickly than impairment of sleep and alertness. Understanding the impact of circadian rhythms on our health can help us make informed choices about our lifestyle. By optimising our sleep and eating patterns, we can improve our overall wellbeing."

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Related Words

• petty