one-horse
Americanadjective
-
using or having only a single horse.
a one-horse carriage.
-
small and unimportant; limited.
a one-horse town.
adjective
-
drawn by or using one horse
-
informal (prenominal) small or obscure
a one-horse town
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.
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
“When the polls began it felt like a one-horse race, with Modi leading from the front. But now we are seeing some kind of shift,” political analyst Rasheed Kidwai said.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
“I ain’t got no more cash money’n a one-horse farmer,” he insisted.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
