two-bit

[too-bit]

See more synonyms for two-bit on Thesaurus.com

adjective Slang.

costing twenty-five cents.
inferior or unimportant; small-time: a two-bit actor.

Origin of two-bit

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

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

Examples from the Web for two-bit

Contemporary Examples

By Monday evening, it had been leaked to the blogger The Two-Bit Idiot, who published it on the Web.
Inside Japan’s Bitcoin Heist
Jake Adelstein
February 28, 2014
A published article compares state sponsored police brutality to the individual actions of a two-bit huckster on Youtube.
History's Vilest #SlatePitch Asks: Why Do We Bitterly Cling to Free Speech?
Justin Green
September 26, 2012
What possible interest could she have in meeting a two-bit, half-term governor of Alaska?
Palin’s Delusions of Grandeur
Alex Massie
June 8, 2011
The Republican takeover of the House is no less dramatic for having been predicted by every two-bit pundit on the planet.
A Democratic Bloodbath
Howard Kurtz
November 3, 2010
Any two-bit comedian can stand onstage and spout ignorant ethnic slurs.
Sacha Baron Cohen's 9 Wildest Moments
The Daily Beast Video
July 9, 2009

Historical Examples

Knocked off by a two-bit racket boss who thought he was being crossed.
Arm of the Law
Harry Harrison
I loaned him a two-bit piece, kunnel, an' he tol' me all he knowed!
Old Man Curry
Charles E. (Charles Emmett) Van Loan
Everett lapsed into a pose of deep concentration, like a two-bit swami.
Telempathy
Vance Simonds
Say, I haven't owned a two-bit piece since—wal, fer some time.
The Lone Star Ranger
Zane Grey
An' he up an' said he wouldn't give a two-bit piece fer my life.
The Lone Star Ranger
Zane Grey

British Dictionary definitions for two-bit

two-bit

adjective (prenominal) slang, mainly US and Canadian

worth next to nothing; cheap

Word Origin

C20: from the phrase two bits a small sum

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

two-bit

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}two-bit

Related Words

Examples from the Web for two-bit

Contemporary Examples

By Monday evening, it had been leaked to the blogger The Two-Bit Idiot, who published it on the Web.

A published article compares state sponsored police brutality to the individual actions of a two-bit huckster on Youtube.

What possible interest could she have in meeting a two-bit, half-term governor of Alaska?

The Republican takeover of the House is no less dramatic for having been predicted by every two-bit pundit on the planet.

Any two-bit comedian can stand onstage and spout ignorant ethnic slurs.

Historical Examples

Knocked off by a two-bit racket boss who thought he was being crossed.

I loaned him a two-bit piece, kunnel, an' he tol' me all he knowed!

Everett lapsed into a pose of deep concentration, like a two-bit swami.

Say, I haven't owned a two-bit piece since—wal, fer some time.

An' he up an' said he wouldn't give a two-bit piece fer my life.

two-bit

Word Origin

Origin of two-bit